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Classic books are replete with sexual scenes. The problem is that we don't recognise them because by today's standards, they're so veiled and dull. Shakespeare was notoriously lewd in his comedies. Lady Chatterly's Lover is an obvious sex book. Wuthering Heights suggestion of sexual improprieties was almost scandalous for the time.
We don't recognise the licentiousness of classic novels because we don't live by the standards of those days. But certainly, a lot of classic novels are at least risqué. Some were close to pornographic (Lolita?).
But getting to your original question about the role of sex in a novel, unless it aids in the development of the plot or the characters, sex scenes tend to be distracting. In addition to drawing attention away from the plot, they often seem contrived and superfluous to the narrative. If I want graphic descriptions of sex, I'll surf the net. If I want a good story, I'll go to a bookstore.
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