Can a 19 year old face charges for getting his 15 year old girlfriend pregnant
Full Question:
My friend is pregnant and 15. The dad is 19 now, but he was 18 when she got pregnant. She is worried that if she goes along with the pregnancy, the father will get in trouble and go to prison as a sex offender. I have been trying to help her find information, but we both keep hearing 3 or 4 different things. We even found on the internet that Indiana will not prosecute if they are in a "dating relationship" and within 4 years difference in age. They have been together for almost a year and a half, and the parents are fine with it. Her mom even hooked them up when he was 17 and she was 14. I just want her to find out the truth before it's too late. Shes my best friend and I love her to death. I don't want to see him go to prison either.
10/29/2007 |
Category: Criminal |
State: Indiana |
#11207
Answer:
The following are IN statutes:
IC 35-42-4-5
Vicarious sexual gratification; sexual conduct in presence of a minor
Sec. 5. (a) A person eighteen (18) years of age or older who knowingly or intentionally directs, aids, induces, or causes a child under the age of sixteen (16) to touch or fondle himself or another child under the age of sixteen (16) with intent to arouse or satisfy the sexual desires of a child or the older person commits vicarious sexual gratification, a Class D felony. However, the offense is:
(1) a Class C felony if a child involved in the offense is under the age of fourteen (14);
(2) a Class B felony if:
(A) the offense is committed by using or threatening the use of deadly force or while armed with a deadly weapon; or
(B) the commission of the offense is facilitated by furnishing the victim, without the victim's knowledge, with a drug (as defined in IC 16-42-19-2(1)) or a controlled substance (as defined in IC 35-48-1-9) or knowing that the victim was furnished with the drug or controlled substance without the victim's knowledge; and
(3) a Class A felony if it results in serious bodily injury.
(b) A person eighteen (18) years of age or older who knowingly or intentionally directs, aids, induces, or causes a child under the age of sixteen (16) to:
(1) engage in sexual intercourse with another child under sixteen (16) years of age;
(2) engage in sexual conduct with an animal other than a human being; or
(3) engage in deviate sexual conduct with another person;
with intent to arouse or satisfy the sexual desires of a child or the older person commits vicarious sexual gratification, a Class C felony. However, the offense is a Class B felony if any child involved in the offense is less than fourteen (14) years of age, and it is a Class A felony if the offense is committed by using or threatening the use of deadly force, if it is committed while armed with a deadly weapon, if it results in serious bodily injury, or if the commission of the offense is facilitated by furnishing the victim, without the victim's knowledge, with a drug (as defined in IC 16-42-19-2(1)) or a controlled substance (as defined in IC 35-48-1-9) or knowing that the victim was furnished with the drug or controlled substance without the victim's knowledge.
(c) A person eighteen (18) years of age or older who knowingly or intentionally:
(1) engages in sexual intercourse;
(2) engages in deviate sexual conduct; or
(3) touches or fondles the person's own body;
in the presence of a child less than fourteen (14) years of age with the intent to arouse or satisfy the sexual desires of the child or the older person commits performing sexual conduct in the presence of a minor, a Class D felony.
Child seduction
Sec. 7. (a) As used in this section, "adoptive parent" has the meaning set forth in IC 31-9-2-6.
(b) As used in this section, "adoptive grandparent" means the parent of an adoptive parent.
(c) As used in this section, "child care worker" means a person who:
(1) provides care, supervision, or instruction to a child within the scope of the person's employment in a shelter care facility; or
(2) is employed by a:
(A) school corporation; or
(B) nonpublic school;
attended by a child who is the victim of a crime under this chapter.
(d) As used in this section, "custodian" means any person who resides with a child and is responsible for the child's welfare.
(e) As used in this section, "nonpublic school" has the meaning set forth in IC 20-18-2-12.
(f) As used in this section, "school corporation" has the meaning set forth in IC 20-18-2-16.
(g) As used in this section, "stepparent" means an individual who is married to a child's custodial or noncustodial parent and is not the child's adoptive parent.
(h) If a person who is:
(1) at least eighteen (18) years of age; and
(2) the:
(A) guardian, adoptive parent, adoptive grandparent, custodian, or stepparent of; or
(B) child care worker for;
a child at least sixteen (16) years of age but less than eighteen (18) years of age;
engages with the child in sexual intercourse, deviate sexual conduct (as defined in IC 35-41-1-9), or any fondling or touching with the intent to arouse or satisfy the sexual desires of either the child or the adult, the person commits child seduction, a Class D felony.
As added by P.L.158-1987, SEC.4. Amended by P.L.1-1997, SEC.148; P.L.71-1998, SEC.5; P.L.228-2001, SEC.5; P.L.161-2003,
SEC.10; P.L.1-2005, SEC.228.
IC 35-42-4-9
Sexual misconduct with a minor
Sec. 9. (a) A person at least eighteen (18) years of age who, with a child at least fourteen (14) years of age but less than sixteen (16) years of age, performs or submits to sexual intercourse or deviate sexual conduct commits sexual misconduct with a minor, a Class C felony. However, the offense is:
(1) a Class B felony if it is committed by a person at least twenty-one (21) years of age; and
(2) a Class A felony if it is committed by using or threatening the use of deadly force, if it is committed while armed with a deadly weapon, if it results in serious bodily injury, or if the commission of the offense is facilitated by furnishing the victim, without the victim's knowledge, with a drug (as defined in IC 16-42-19-2(1)) or a controlled substance (as defined in IC 35-48-1-9) or knowing that the victim was furnished with the drug or controlled substance without the victim's knowledge.
(b) A person at least eighteen (18) years of age who, with a child at least fourteen (14) years of age but less than sixteen (16) years of age, performs or submits to any fondling or touching, of either the child or the older person, with intent to arouse or to satisfy the sexual desires of either the child or the older person, commits sexual misconduct with a minor, a Class D felony. However, the offense is:
(1) a Class C felony if it is committed by a person at least twenty-one (21) years of age; and
(2) a Class B felony if it is committed by using or threatening the use of deadly force, while armed with a deadly weapon, orif the commission of the offense is facilitated by furnishing the victim, without the victim's knowledge, with a drug (as defined in IC 16-42-19-2(1)) or a controlled substance (as defined in IC 35-48-1-9) or knowing that the victim was furnished with the drug or controlled substance without the victim's knowledge.
(c) It is a defense that the accused person reasonably believed that the child was at least sixteen (16) years of age at the time of the conduct. However, this subsection does not apply to an offense described in subsection (a)(2) or (b)(2).
(d) It is a defense that the child is or has ever been married. However, this subsection does not apply to an offense described in subsection (a)(2) or (b)(2).
(e) It is a defense to a prosecution under this section if all the following apply:
(1) The person is not more than four (4) years older than the victim.
(2) The relationship between the person and the victim was a dating relationship or an ongoing personal relationship. The term "ongoing personal relationship" does not include a family relationship.
(3) The crime:
(A) was not committed by a person who is at least twenty-one (21) years of age;
(B) was not committed by using or threatening the use of deadly force;
(C) was not committed while armed with a deadly weapon;
(D) did not result in serious bodily injury;
(E) was not facilitated by furnishing the victim, without the victim's knowledge, with a drug (as defined in IC 16-42-19-2(1)) or a controlled substance (as defined in IC 35-48-1-9) or knowing that the victim was furnished with the drug or controlled substance without the victim's knowledge; and
(F) was not committed by a person having a position of authority or substantial influence over the victim.
(4) The person has not committed another sex offense (as defined in IC 11-8-8-5.2) (including a delinquent act that would be a sex offense if committed by an adult) against any other person.
As added by P.L.79-1994, SEC.15. Amended by P.L.33-1996, SEC.9; P.L.216-1996, SEC.21; P.L.31-1998, SEC.8; P.L.266-2003, SEC.1; P.L.216-2007, SEC.45.
