I sexually assaulted someone, drowning in guilt

"Assault is assault, no matter how I look at, so shouldn't I be looked at with the same amount of disgust and contempt as these other people are?"

If you're going to take such a technical view of things and look at everything as only one way or another, then you won't be able to live like anyone else. Everyone has "assaulted" lots of people but it is only the "assaults" that are a big deal that are to be worried about.

I wouldn't consider this sexual assault. It was a wrong thing to do, but you stopped and didn't go any further.