Statutory Rape In California Essay
This paper will examine the statutory rape laws within the state of California. It will look at the laws and punishment for coming statutory rape. It will also look at the laws regarding sexual acts toward children. Also, the paper will examine how these laws work to protect children from sexual abuse.
Statutory Rape Laws Statutory rape falls under the California Penal Code of 261.5 PC. This code states “statutory rape" takes place when any person engages in sexual intercourse with a person under the age of eighteen (18).1 The crime of statutory rape is also commonly referred to as "unlawful sex with a minor"...or as "unlawful sexual intercourse (Shouse California Law Group, 2015). This means that anyone over eighteen who has intercourse with someone who is under age eighteen, who in the state of California is considered a minor, then they are classified as having committed statutory rape. In the case of statutory rape, people may be charged in one of two ways. The first way is being charged in with a misdemeanor. The second is being charged with a felony. There are several factors that are taken into consideration, when deciding with which the person will be charged. People will be charged with a misdemeanor, if …show more content…
I also feel that the laws for sexual child abuse are also very strong and able to protect children. The punishment for sexual assault on a child is fifteen years to life of imprisonment. Also if you have committed a sexual crime against a child, then you are legally required to register as a sexual offender. This requires you to live a certain distance away from areas that have children present on a regular basis (W/K Law Corporation, 2015). I feel like this would help to prevent these individuals from have access to children. However, even with these precautions put into place, there are still too many cases of sexual assault against
Statutory Rape Laws Statutory rape falls under the California Penal Code of 261.5 PC. This code states “statutory rape" takes place when any person engages in sexual intercourse with a person under the age of eighteen (18).1 The crime of statutory rape is also commonly referred to as "unlawful sex with a minor"...or as "unlawful sexual intercourse (Shouse California Law Group, 2015). This means that anyone over eighteen who has intercourse with someone who is under age eighteen, who in the state of California is considered a minor, then they are classified as having committed statutory rape. In the case of statutory rape, people may be charged in one of two ways. The first way is being charged in with a misdemeanor. The second is being charged with a felony. There are several factors that are taken into consideration, when deciding with which the person will be charged. People will be charged with a misdemeanor, if …show more content…
I also feel that the laws for sexual child abuse are also very strong and able to protect children. The punishment for sexual assault on a child is fifteen years to life of imprisonment. Also if you have committed a sexual crime against a child, then you are legally required to register as a sexual offender. This requires you to live a certain distance away from areas that have children present on a regular basis (W/K Law Corporation, 2015). I feel like this would help to prevent these individuals from have access to children. However, even with these precautions put into place, there are still too many cases of sexual assault against