The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 14 letter word TRANSGRESSIONS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
T
R
A
N
S
G
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Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "criminal acts" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case criminal acts = transgressions.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does TRANSGRESSIONS mean?
TRANSGRESSIONS noun- A violation of a law, duty or commandment.
- An act that goes beyond generally accepted boundaries.
- A relative rise in sea level resulting in deposition of marine strata over terrestrial strata.