Legal Definitions of Rape and Sexual Assault

Sexual Assault: the sexual exploitation, forcible penetration, or an act of sexual contact on the body of another person, male or female, without his or her consent. Rape is an act of power and control, in which the victim is humiliated, degraded, and left with feelings of shame, guilt, and anger. If you are forced against your will to have sex with someone, that is rape. NC General Statute 14-27 defines rape and sexual assault as the following:

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First Degree Rape – a person is guilty of rape in the first degree if the person engages in vaginal intercourse:

1. With a victim who is a child under the age of 13 years and the defendant is at least 12 years old and is at least 4 years older than the victim;
2. With another person by force and against the will of the other person and; employs a dangerous or deadly weapon or an article which the other person reasonably believes to be a dangerous or deadly weapon; or inflicts serious personal injury upon the victim or another, by one or more other persons.

READ MORE HERE

Statutory Rape Definitions

Statutory Rape Laws by State

Contents

1. Statutory Rape — Criminal Offenses
   1. Sexual Intercourse with Minors
   2. Definition of Offenses
2. Child Abuse Reporting Requirements
   1. Inclusion of Statutory Rape in Reporting Requirements
   2. Mandatory Reporters
   3. Who to Report to
   4. State Response

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NOTE: Each state has it’s own definitions of child sexual abuse and rape. Here is just one example of the laws as defined in New York :

Article 130 – NY Penal Law

SEX OFFENSES
130.00   Sex offenses; definitions of terms.
130.05   Sex offenses; lack of consent.
130.10   Sex offenses; limitation; defenses.
130.16   Sex offenses; corroboration.
130.20   Sexual misconduct. A MISD
130.25   Rape in the third degree. E FELONY
130.30   Rape in the second degree. D FELONY
130.35   Rape in the first degree. B FELONY
130.40   Criminal Sexual Act in the third degree. E FELONY
130.45   Criminal Sexual Act in the second degree. D FELONY
130.50   Criminal Sexual Act in the first degree. B FELONY
130.52   Forcible touching. A MISD
130.53   Persistent sexual abuse. E FELONY
130.55   Sexual abuse in the third degree. B MISD
130.60   Sexual abuse in the second degree. A MISD
130.65   Sexual abuse in the first degree. D FELONY
130.65-a Aggravated sexual abuse in the fourth degree. E FELONY
130.66   Aggravated sexual abuse in the third degree. D FELONY
130.67   Aggravated sexual abuse in the second degree. C FELONY
130.70   Aggravated sexual abuse in the first degree. B FELONY
130.75   Course of sexual conduct against a child in the first degree. B FELONY
130.80   Course of sexual conduct against a child in the second degree. D FELONY
130.85   Female genital mutilation. E FELONY
130.90   Facilitating a sex offense with a controlled substance. D FELONY
130.91   Sexually motivated felony.
130.92   Sentencing.
130.95   Predatory sexual assault. A-II FELONY
130.96   Predatory sexual assault against a child. A-II FELONY

A Ward Melville High School science teacher has been arrested and charged with sexually abusing a female student, police said. Special Victims Section detectives arrested Stephen Malusa, 47, after an investigation revealed that he had abused the female student in May 2013, police said.  Malusa, of Selden, was charged with third degree sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child. He was arraigned Tuesday in First District Court in Central Islip and is being held on $45,000 bond or $15,000 cash bail.  READ MORE HERE

Murder charges have been filed against a Morgan County man after the weekend death of a 9-month-old baby in his care, an official with the local sheriff’s office said Tuesday. Donald Justin Lee, 21, was arrested Saturday night and charged with cruelty to children. Charges were upgraded to felony murder on Monday, Morgan sheriff’s Capt. Christopher Bish told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. READ MORE HERE

FBI search for murder suspect and missing child

ATLANTA, GA — The FBI is asking for your help as they search for a murder suspect and a missing child. Federal officials are searching for Kahlil Malik Tatum, who was charged with the murder of his wife in Washington, D.C. Authorities say Tatum fled D.C. and has ties to Atlanta. He is described as 5’7″ tall, weighing 170 pounds. Police say he has a distinctive tattoo on his left upper arm. READ MORE HERE

RALEIGH, N.C. — A Raleigh man was arrested Tuesday on charges that he raped a 12-year-old child. Jeremy Samuel Jones, 26, of 204 Farrington Drive, Apt. B, is charged with one count each of first-degree rape and second-degree kidnapping and two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. According to arrest warrants, the alleged offenses happened between Sunday and Tuesday. The warrants do not say how Jones knows the child. READ MORE HERE

Marshalls Creek, Monroe County – The founder and director of the Pennsylvania Singing Boys Choir is charged with rape. Bernard Schade, also known as Ken Werner, had contact with thousands of children in northeastern and central Pennsylvania. Now, police and the FBI are concerned there may be more victims. State Police say Schade raped an 11-year-old boy who performed in his choir. It allegedly happened in 1996 at Schade’s home in Marshall’s Creek. Court documents show he now has a Wind Gap address. READ MORE HERE

EUCLID, Ohio — A Cleveland man is facing his third child rape charge in two years, this time accused of forcing an 8-year-old boy to perform sex acts on him. James Johnson, 29, is facing a first-degree felony rape charge in Euclid Municipal Court. Johnson is being held in jail on $100,000 bond and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 3. Johnson is also facing charges after being indicted in 2013. Those charges allege he raped a 4-year-old girl and a 9-year-old girl in 2012 and 2013, respectively. READ MORE HERE

EAST MOLINE, Illinois – Authorities in a western Illinois community are investigating after they discovered a dozen razor blades glued to playground equipment in an East Moline city park. The razor blades were discovered Monday in the community’s Millennium Park after a 2-year-old boy sliced his finger on a razor. The laceration was minor. Police Lt. Brian Foltz told the Quad-City Times that officers are “always doing park checks,” but authorities aren’t sure how long the blades had been attached to the playground equipment. READ MORE HERE

Fugitive Child Molester Timothy Johnson

Timothy Johnson made a bank transaction in Oak Ridge, Tennessee on Monday, March 17. Last known whereabouts Clinton, TN. Tim drives a 1999 Chevy Chevy Silverado extended cab with the Indiana license plate of TK- 267LVZ.

WANTED POSTER READS:

Name: Timothy L. Johnson
Sex: MALE
Race: WHITE
Height: 6’01″
Weight: 220 pounds
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blonde/Strawberry

TIMOTHY JOHNSON IS WANTED BY THE U.S. MARSHALS SERVICE FOR 4 COUNTS OF CHILD MOLESTING. CHARGES ARE OUT OF HENRY COUNTY INDIANA. JOHNSON WAS LAST SEEN IN CLINTON, TN DRIVING A 1999 SILVER CHEVY EXTENDED CAB PICKUP INDIANA PLATES 267LVZ AND HAULING A WHITE 35? CAMPER INDIANA PLATE 878CQ.

JOHNSON IS TO BE CONSIDERED ARMED AND DANGEROUS. IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION THAT WILL ASSIST LAW ENFORCEMENT PLEASE CONTACT THE UNITED STATES MARSHALS SERVICE AT 1-800-336-0102 OR CALL 911 FOR YOUR LOCAL AUTHORITIES.

SOURCE

Convicted Indiana child molester at large

Du Pont heir who raped toddler daughter, accused of sexually abusing 19-month-old son

WILMINGTON, DEL. — A du Pont family heir who raped his 3-year-old daughter nearly a decade ago but received no prison time now faces a lawsuit from his former wife that accuses him of sexually abusing his toddler son. Robert H. Richards IV, 47, who is supported by a trust fund and who paid $1.8 million for his 5,800-square-foot mansion near Winterthur Museum, pleaded guilty in 2008 to fourth-degree rape of his daughter. Currently on probation, he has never been charged with crimes against his son. The lawsuit provides in-depth details about a child rape case that Delaware authorities never disclosed publicly and did not receive media attention. READ MORE HERE

A teacher at a suburban Texas middle school faces felony charges for allegedly having a sexual relationship with one of her 15-year-old male students that dates back to at least November of 2013. In at least one case, Hopper Middle School math teacher Corrie Anne Long, 43, performed oral sex on the boy in her classroom. Authorities first started investigating Long after a fellow student told school staff that he saw Long and the 15-year-old alleged victim engaged in bizarre horseplay – namely, the witness said he saw the 15-year-old student spanking Long. READ MORE HERE

Police in New York have launched an investigation to determine whether an apparently devoted mother fatally poisoned her own 5-year-old son with toxic levels of salt. Garnett Spears died at Westchester Medical Center in January after his 26-year-old mom, Lacey Spears, rushed him to the emergency room on suffering intense abdominal pains from what appeared to be a stomach virus. The little boy’s condition worsened and he died four days later with what appeared to be dangerously high amounts of sodium in his system – leading investigators to question whether Garnett was deliberately given the salt. READ MORE HERE

Child Trafficking Increases at Alarming Rate

On city streets throughout America a battle is being waged for the soul of humanity, and it is taking place right in front of our eyes. As darkness descends, the fading light lays bare an open wound in the fabric of society. The most vulnerable among us are being offered up as prey for those with unspeakable appetites. Children are being trafficked sexually in this country at an alarming rate and right now 300,000 are at risk of being prostituted. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the average age of a sex-trafficked child is 13-14 years old. Each pimp can make $150,000-$200,000 per child a year, and the average pimp has four to six girls.  READ MORE HERE

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20 Ways You Can Fight Child Trafficking

After first learning about human trafficking, many people want to help in some way but do not know how. Here are just a few ideas for your consideration.

1. Learn the red flags that may indicate human trafficking and ask follow up questions so that you can help identify a potential trafficking victim. Human trafficking awareness training is available for individuals, businesses, first responders, law enforcement, and federal employees.

2. In the United States, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center at 1-888-373-7888 (24/7) to get help and connect with a service provider in your area, report a tip with information on potential human trafficking activity; or learn more by requesting training, technical assistance, or resources. Call federal law enforcement directly to report suspicious activity and get help from the Department of Homeland Security at 1-866-347-2423 (24/7), or submit a tip online at www.ice.gov/tips, or from the U.S. Department of Justice at 1-888-428-7581 from 9:00am to 5:00pm (EST). Victims, including undocumented individuals, are eligible for services and immigration assistance.

READ MORE HERE

A slim, pretty and vivacious blonde, Cynthia Duckett charmed everyone she met. To her neighbors, she was a doting mother to her daughter Terrie and her younger son Paul.  Along with her partner, Peter Bond-Wonneberger, they seemed to be a wonderfully happy family.  Yet beneath the facade, they were falling apart. Peter was meting out savage beatings to Cynthia’s children, and in his thrall, she turned a blind eye.  READ MORE HERE