The Wycliffe Bible uses the word “adultery” 41 times, and Matthew 5:27 and 5:28 are rightfully not among them.

Matthew 5:27-28,32 (Wycliffe Bible WYC)

27 Ye have heard that it was said to old men, Thou shalt not do lechery.

28 But I say to you, that every man that seeth a woman to covet her, hath now done lechery by her in his heart.

In verse 32, John Wycliffe then translates two different forms of “moix-”; lechery, and adultery:

“But I say to you, that every man that leaveth his wife, except cause of fornication [infidelity] maketh her to do lechery (ΜΟΙΧΕΥ, μοιχευθῆναι, moicheuthēnai), and he that weddeth the forsaken wife, doeth adultery (ΜΟΙΧΑΤΑΙ,  ΜΟΙΧΑΤΕΑΙ, ΜΟΙΧΑΤΕ, μοιχᾶται, moichatai).”

The penalty of adultery in Deuteronomy 22:22 is death.  The penalty for adultery in John 8 had remained death:

3 And scribes and Pharisees brought a woman taken in adultery, and they setted her in the middle,

4 and said to him, Master, this woman is now taken in adultery.

5 And in the law Moses commanded us to stone such; therefore what sayest thou?

Within the prohibitions against sexual impurity (see Leviticus 18), the standard of misconduct does not begin with touch, but with the attempt to “uncover nakedness”.

This, is lechery.

The avoidance of lechery also influenced the choice of words that compose the religious texts of ancient Judaism.

Individuals - including Kings - who had committed sexual “abominations” were not only “cut off among their people”, but excluded from “The Book Of Life” - The Bible itself.

Between Leviticus 18:6 and 18:23 is a comprehensive list of sexual impurities to be avoided.  Verse 20 relays an expectation that a neighbour’s wife is not to be “lain with”. Verse 22 declares that - conservatively translated and interpreted - no one should penetrate the anus of a male Jew.  Between these verses lays verse 21, condemning those who “let pass any descendants through the fire to Molech”.

This list is only about sex crimes.  Whatever is in this list can only be a sex crime.

Between prohibitions against sex with other’s wives and in the rectums of male Jews is a condemnation concerning sexuality and children.  It can be no other thing.

This is the symbolic depiction of sexual assault of children by adults. The term “Molech” (which appears to be a proper noun) became a verb through the ages, describing the actions associated with it - to molest.