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A sex offender (sexual offender, sex abuser, or sexual abuser) is a person who has committed a sex crime. What constitutes a sex crime differs by culture and legal jurisdiction. The majority of convicted sex offenders have convictions for crimes of a sexual nature; however, some sex offenders have simply violated a law contained in a sexual category. Some of the serious crimes which result in a mandatory sex-offender classification are sexual assault, statutory rape, bestiality, child sexual abuse, incest, and rape.

Some sex offenders are deemed too dangerous to society to be released and are subjected to civil confinement – indefinite continuing incarceration, which is supposed to, but does not always, provide meaningful treatment to the offender. Sex offender registration laws in the United States may also classify less serious offenses as sexual offenses requiring sex offender registration. In some states public urination, having sex on a beach,^[1] or unlawful imprisonment of a minor also constitute sexual offenses.^[2][3]