Ogden Statutory Rape Lawyer

Unlawful Sex with a Minor in Utah

Many people in Utah are charged with unlawful sex with a minor in Utah every year.  Unlawful sex with a minor, or statutory rape as it is more commonly called, happens frequently because people lie about their age or look older than they actually are.  Many people charged with statutory rape did not even know they were engaging in sexual acts with a person under 18 years old.  Also, even if the sexual act was consensual by both parties, and it was not a typical rape, it is still held to be a crime.  There are a limited number of defenses to a statutory rape charge but they are few and hard to prove.  To effectively submit a defense to statutory rape an individual should not hesitate to contact an Ogden statutory rape lawyer for criminal defense help.

Different Ages of the Minor Affect Criminal Charges

Depending on the age of a minor, statutory rape charges may or may not be brought against an individual.  An adult may perform sexual acts with a 16 or 17 year old if the adult is not more than ten years older than the minor.  If the adult is more than 10 years older than the minor, he or she can be charged with a 3rd degree felony or a class A misdemeanor.  So, a 20 year old could have sex with a 16 year old because he is only 4 years older than the minor.

If an adult has sex with a 14 or 15 year old, however, it does not matter how much older the adult is.  If someone over 18 has sexual relations with a 14 or 15 year old, that person has committed statutory rape which will result in a 3rd degree felony charge.  Unfortunately, the law does not care if the sexual contact was consensual.  Too often a high school 18 year old boy will have sex with his high school 15 year old girlfriend and be charged with statutory rape.  A statutory rape conviction is detrimental to any person and carries terrible consequences such as registration for Utah’s sex offender registry.  With harsh consequences of a conviction, no person should fight a statutory rape charge without an Ogden statutory rape lawyer.

Protect Yourself With an Ogden Statutory Rape Lawyer

If you have been charged with unlawful sex with a minor (statutory rape) then call an Ogden statutory rape lawyer.  You can receive a free consultation today with a criminal defense lawyer so don’t delay.  Call 801.823.1200 to speak with an Ogden statutory rape lawyer.

Comments are closed.