Mass. Gen. Laws » Part I Title XVII Chapter 123A
Massachusetts General Laws

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 123A, § 1 (2026)

Definitions

✓ current as of July 2026
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Section 1. As used in this chapter the following words shall, except as otherwise provided, have the following meanings:—

''Agency with jurisdiction'', the agency with the authority to direct the release of a person presently incarcerated, confined or committed to the department of youth services, regardless of the reason for such incarceration, confinement or commitment, including, but not limited to a sheriff, keeper, master or superintendent of a jail, house of correction or prison, the director of a custodial facility in the department of youth services, the parole board and, where a person has been found incompetent to stand trial, a district attorney.

''Community access board'', a board consisting of five members appointed by the commissioner of correction, whose function shall be to consider a person's placement within a community access program and conduct an annual review of a person's sexual dangerousness.

''Community Access Program'', a program established pursuant to section six A that provides for a person's reintegration into the community.

''Conviction'', a conviction of or adjudication as a delinquent juvenile or a youthful offender by reason of sexual offense, regardless of the date of offense or date of conviction or adjudication.

''Mental abnormality'', a congenital or acquired condition of a person that affects the emotional or volitional capacity of the person in a manner that predisposes that person to the commission of criminal sexual acts to a degree that makes the person a menace to the health and safety of other persons.

''Personality disorder'', a congenital or acquired physical or mental condition that results in a general lack of power to control sexual impulses.

''Qualified examiner'', a physician who is licensed pursuant to section two of chapter one hundred and twelve who is either certified in psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology or eligible to be so certified, or a psychologist who is licensed pursuant to sections one hundred and eighteen to one hundred and twenty-nine, inclusive, of chapter one hundred and twelve; provided, however, that the examiner has had two years of experience with diagnosis or treatment of sexually aggressive offenders and is designated by the commissioner of correction. A ''qualified examiner'' need not be an employee of the department of correction or of any facility or institution of the department.

''Sexual offense'', includes any of the following crimes: indecent assault and battery on a child under fourteen under the provisions of section thirteen B of chapter two hundred and sixty-five; aggravated indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of 14 under section 13B1/2 of chapter 265; a repeat offense under section 13B3/4 of chapter 265; indecent assault and battery on a mentally retarded person under the provisions of section thirteen F of chapter two hundred and sixty-five; indecent assault and battery on a person who has obtained the age of fourteen under the provisions of section thirteen H of chapter two hundred and sixty-five; indecent assault and battery on vulnerable persons in custody by law enforcement under section 13H1/2 of said chapter 265; indecent assault and battery on a patient or client by a health care provider under section 13H3/4 of said chapter 265; rape under the provisions of section twenty-two of chapter two hundred and sixty-five; rape of a child under sixteen with force under the provisions of section twenty-two A of chapter two hundred and sixty-five; aggravated rape of a child under 16 with force under section 22B of chapter 265; a repeat offense under section 22C of chapter 265; rape of a patient or client by a health care provider under section 22D of said chapter 265; rape and abuse of a child under sixteen under the provisions of section twenty-three of chapter two hundred and sixty-five; aggravated rape and abuse of a child under section 23A of chapter 265; a repeat offense under section 23B of chapter 265; assault with intent to commit rape under the provisions of section twenty-four of chapter two hundred and sixty-five; assault on a child with intent to commit rape under section 24B of chapter 265; kidnapping under section 26 of said chapter 265 with intent to commit a violation of section 13B, 13B1/2, 13B3/4, 13F, 13H, 22, 22A, 22B, 22C, 23, 23A, 23B, 24 or 24B of said chapter 265; enticing away a person for prostitution or sexual intercourse under section 2 of chapter 272; drugging persons for sexual intercourse under section 3 of chapter 272; inducing a person under 18 into prostitution under section 4A of said chapter 272; living off or sharing earnings of a minor prostitute under section 4B of said chapter 272; open and gross lewdness and lascivious behavior under section 16 of said chapter 272; incestuous intercourse under section 17 of said chapter 272 involving a person under the age of 21; dissemination or possession with the intent to disseminate to a minor matter harmful to a minor under section 28 of said chapter 272; posing or exhibiting a child in a state of nudity under section 29A of said chapter 272; dissemination of visual material of a child in a state of nudity or sexual conduct under section 29B of said chapter 272; purchase or possession of visual material of a child depicted in sexual conduct under section 29C of said chapter 272; dissemination of visual material of a child in the state of nudity or in sexual conduct under section 30D of chapter 272; unnatural and lascivious acts with a child under the age of sixteen under the provisions of section thirty-five A of chapter two hundred and seventy-two; accosting or annoying persons of the opposite sex and lewd, wanton and lascivious speech or behavior under section 53 of said chapter 272; and any attempt to commit any of the above listed crimes under the provisions of section six of chapter two hundred and seventy-four or a like violation of the laws of another state, the United States or a military, territorial or Indian tribal authority; and any other offense, the facts of which, under the totality of the circumstances, manifest a sexual motivation or pattern of conduct or series of acts of sexually-motivated offenses.

''Sexually dangerous person'', any person who has been (i) convicted of or adjudicated as a delinquent juvenile or youthful offender by reason of a sexual offense and who suffers from a mental abnormality or personality disorder which makes the person likely to engage in sexual offenses if not confined to a secure facility; (ii) charged with a sexual offense and was determined to be incompetent to stand trial and who suffers from a mental abnormality or personality disorder which makes such person likely to engage in sexual offenses if not confined to a secure facility; or (iii) previously adjudicated as such by a court of the commonwealth and whose misconduct in sexual matters indicates a general lack of power to control his sexual impulses, as evidenced by repetitive or compulsive sexual misconduct by either violence against any victim, or aggression against any victim under the age of 16 years, and who, as a result, is likely to attack or otherwise inflict injury on such victims because of his uncontrolled or uncontrollable desires.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 181 cases (21 in the last 5 years), 1969–2026 · leading case: Commonwealth v. Boucher, 780 N.E.2d 47 (Mass. 2002).
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Commonwealth v. Boucher, 780 N.E.2d 47 (Mass. 2002). · cites it 10× “In this case we must decide the meaning of the word “likely” as the Legislature used it in the context of defining a sexually dangerous person as someone “likely to engage in sexual offenses if not confined to a secure facility” pursuant to G. L. c. 123A, § 1. Background. In…”
Commonwealth v. Bruno, 735 N.E.2d 1222 (Mass. 2000). · cites it 9× “8 The 1999 amendments established a new definition of a sexually dangerous person, see G. L. c. 123A, § 1, and five new sections, see G.”
Commonwealth v. George, 477 Mass. 331 (Mass. 2017). · cites it 7× “Two qualified examiners 1 submitted reports, opining that the defendant is an SDP within the meaning of G. L. c. 123A, § 1. The trial on the Commonwealth’s petition commenced in September, 2015.”
In re Chapman, 122 N.E.3d 507 (Mass. 2019). · cites it 6× “123, § 8 ( a ) (civil commitment of mentally ill person impermissible unless release "would create a likelihood of serious harm"); G. L. c. 123A, § 1 (to qualify as sexually dangerous person subject to civil commitment, individual must be likely to sexually reoffend).”
Commonwealth v. Fay, 5 N.E.3d 1216 (Mass. 2014). · cites it 7× “The Commonwealth moved to commit the defendant as a sexually dangerous person based on six prior convictions of “[s]exual offenses” under G. L. c. 123A, § 1, occurring during four incidents over a fifteen-year period, each involving children under the age of fourteen.”
Commonwealth v. Gillis, 861 N.E.2d 422 (Mass. 2007). · cites it 6× “” G. L. c. 123A, § 1. The procedure for commitment of an SDP begins with a report by an “agency with the authority to direct the release of a person presently incarcerated, confined or committed to the department of youth services,” G.”
Commonwealth v. Nieves, 846 N.E.2d 379 (Mass. 2006). · cites it 5× “See also G. L. c. 123A, §§ 1, 14-15. We sketch the commitment process, the particulars of which are set forth in earlier cases.”
Commonwealth v. Suave, 953 N.E.2d 178 (Mass. 2011). · cites it 7× “G. L. c. 123A, § 1 (definition of “[s]exual offense”).”
Commonwealth v. McLeod, 771 N.E.2d 142 (Mass. 2002). · cites it 4× “None of these offenses is among those enumerated in G. L. c. 123A, § 1, as “[s]exual [o]ffenses.”
Souza, 27 N.E.3d 395 (Mass. App. Ct. 2015). · cites it 11× “Before his release, the Commonwealth filed a petition alleging that Souza was sexually dangerous under the provisions of G. L. c. 123A, §§ 1, 12-16. After a jury-waived trial, the judge found Souza to be an SDP and committed him to the Massachusetts Treatment Center (Treatment…”
Commonwealth v. Reese, 781 N.E.2d 1225 (Mass. 2003). · cites it 5× “Reese was a sexually dangerous person as defined in G. L. c. 123A, § 1. The judge based his finding of no probable cause on subsidiary findings that the testimony of the Commonwealth’s expert that Reese (1) was a pedophile; (2) suffered from a “personality disorder”; and (3) was…”
Johnstone, 903 N.E.2d 1074 (Mass. 2009). · cites it 4× “See G. L. c. 123A, § 1. In addition, as previously noted, if the petitioner in a discharge proceeding refuses to be personally interviewed by examiners *552 and lacks good cause for doing so, “such person shall be deemed to have waived his right to a hearing on the petition and…”
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