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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>55224</law_id><section_number>37.2-900</section_number><catch_line>Definitions</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>16.1-300</reference><reference>16.1-305</reference><reference>16.1-69.55</reference><reference>17.1-213</reference><reference>19.2-11.01</reference><reference>19.2-169.3</reference><reference>19.2-174.1</reference><reference>19.2-301</reference><reference>19.2-389</reference><reference>19.2-389.1</reference><reference>2.2-3703</reference><reference>2.2-3705.2</reference><reference>2.2-3711</reference><reference>37.2-1102</reference><reference>37.2-844</reference><reference>37.2-845</reference><reference>37.2-846</reference><reference>37.2-904</reference><reference>53.1-136</reference><reference>53.1-145</reference><reference>63.2-105</reference><reference>9.1-101</reference><reference>9.1-908</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="37.2">Behavioral Health and Developmental Services</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="III">Admissions and Dispositions</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="9">Civil Commitment of Sexually Violent Predators</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Commissioner</span>&#x201D; means the <span class="dictionary">Commissioner</span> of Behavioral Health and <span class="dictionary">Developmental Services</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Defendant</span>&#x201D; means any person charged with a <span class="dictionary">sexually violent offense</span> who is deemed to be an unrestorably incompetent <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Disposition of the unrestorably incompetent defendant; aggravated murder charge; sexually violent offense charge" href="/19.2-169.3/">19.2-169.3</a> and is referred for commitment review pursuant to this chapter.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Department</span>&#x201D; means the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of Behavioral Health and <span class="dictionary">Developmental Services</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Director</span>&#x201D; means the <span class="dictionary">Director</span> of the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of Corrections.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Mental abnormality</span>&#x201D; or &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">personality disorder</span>&#x201D; means a congenital or acquired condition that affects a person&#x2019;s emotional or volitional capacity and renders the person so likely to commit <span class="dictionary">sexually violent offenses</span> that he constitutes a menace to the health and safety of others.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Respondent</span>&#x201D; means the person who is subject of a <span class="dictionary">petition</span> filed under this chapter.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Sexually violent offense</span>&#x201D; means a <span class="dictionary">felony</span> under (i) former &#xA7;&#xA0;18-54, former &#xA7;&#xA0;18.1-44, subdivision A 5 of &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Aggravated murder defined; punishment" href="/18.2-31/">18.2-31</a>, &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Rape" href="/18.2-61/">18.2-61</a>, <a class="law" title="Forcible sodomy" href="/18.2-67.1/">18.2-67.1</a>, or <a class="law" title="Object sexual penetration; penalty" href="/18.2-67.2/">18.2-67.2</a>; (ii) &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Abduction with intent to extort money or for immoral purpose" href="/18.2-48/">18.2-48</a> (ii), <a class="law" title="Abduction with intent to extort money or for immoral purpose" href="/18.2-48/">18.2-48</a> (iii), <a class="law" title="Carnal knowledge of child between thirteen and fifteen years of age" href="/18.2-63/">18.2-63</a>, <a class="law" title="Carnal knowledge of certain minors" href="/18.2-64.1/">18.2-64.1</a>, or <a class="law" title="Aggravated sexual battery; penalty" href="/18.2-67.3/">18.2-67.3</a>; (iii) subdivision A 1 of &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Aggravated murder defined; punishment" href="/18.2-31/">18.2-31</a> where the abduction was committed with <span class="dictionary">intent</span> to defile the victim; (iv) &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="First and second degree murder defined; punishment" href="/18.2-32/">18.2-32</a> when the killing was in the commission of, or attempt to commit <span class="dictionary">rape</span>, forcible sodomy, or inanimate or animate <span class="dictionary">object</span> sexual penetration; (v) the <span class="dictionary">laws</span> of the Commonwealth for a forcible sexual offense committed prior to July 1, 1981, where the criminal behavior is set forth in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Forcible sodomy" href="/18.2-67.1/">18.2-67.1</a> or <a class="law" title="Object sexual penetration; penalty" href="/18.2-67.2/">18.2-67.2</a>, or is set forth in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Aggravated sexual battery; penalty" href="/18.2-67.3/">18.2-67.3</a>; or (vi) conspiracy to commit or attempt to commit any of the above offenses.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Sexually violent predator</span>&#x201D; means any person who (i) has been convicted of a <span class="dictionary">sexually violent offense</span>, or has been charged with a <span class="dictionary">sexually violent offense</span> and is unrestorably incompetent to stand <span class="dictionary">trial</span> pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Disposition of the unrestorably incompetent defendant; aggravated murder charge; sexually violent offense charge" href="/19.2-169.3/">19.2-169.3</a>; and (ii) because of a <span class="dictionary">mental abnormality</span> or <span class="dictionary">personality disorder</span>, finds it difficult to control his predatory behavior, which makes him likely to engage in sexually violent acts.</p></section></text><history>1999, cc. 946, 985, &#xA7; 37.1-70.1; 2001, c. 776; 2003, cc. 989, 1018; 2005, cc. 716, 914; 2006, cc. 863, 914; 2007, c. 876; 2009, cc. 740, 813, 840.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
