It is against the law for an adult to have sex with a juvenile. Many people, meanwhile, are not quite aware of the rules and how they apply to the sexual exploitation of kids. The goal of Washington, DC’s child sex abuse laws is to assist victims and deter predators, as child sex abuse remains a severe issue across the country.
A variety of severe legal repercussions, such as jail time, fines, post-release supervision, and other types of reparation, await adults who have consenting or non-consensual sex with adolescents. To find out your choices if you are accused of sexual misconduct committed against a kid, give an expert sex crimes against minors lawyer a call.
One or more of the following charges will be brought against those who have unlawful sex with minors:
First-degree child sexual abuse carries a life sentence in jail. Second-degree child sexual abuse carries a maximum sentence of ten years in jail and a fine of $25,000. First-degree sexual abuse of a juvenile carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a $37,500 fine. Second-degree child sexual abuse carries a maximum sentence of 7.5 years in prison and a $25,000 fine. Additionally, there are regulations that forbid adults from having intercourse with children in an institution or school setting.
Statutory Rape
The age of consent is sixteen years. This implies that those who are at least 16 years old are entitled to have consensual sex. On the other hand, even if they give their written or verbal agreement, people under the age of 15 are not entitled. If an adult engages in sexual behavior with a minor under the age of sixteen, they will be charged with statutory rape and may be convicted of a first or second-degree felony. The maximum penalty for those accused of first-degree statutory rape is life in prison.
Sexual misdemeanor offenses
Adults who engage in sexually provocative behavior with a minor may also face charges. Those found guilty of this misdemeanor charge will serve shorter prison terms than those found guilty of felony child sex abuse. A misdemeanor charge of child sex abuse will be brought against any adult who commits any of the following behaviors:
- Putting hands inside a child’s clothes
- Any contact with a child’s breast, buttocks, or genitalia
- Kids touching their own genitalia
A conviction carries a fine and a maximum prison sentence of 180 days.