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    Stamford Statutory Rape Lawyer

    Statutory rape is treated incredibly seriously in Stamford. A charge of the sort can severely damage an individual’s future both personally and professionally, and carries many harsh penalties. Apart from registration on a sex offender registry and lengthy periods of incarceration, it may be hard for an individual to regain their previous quality of life after completing all assigned consequences.

    If you are being accused of such a charge, it is pertinent that you speak with a Stamford statutory rape lawyer before any legal proceedings. An experienced sex crimes attorney will be able to gather all necessary evidence and assist in lessening or dismissing any penalties you may be facing.

    Defining the Charge

    Statutory rape is a subdivision of sexual assault in the second degree. This occurs when two parties under the age of 16, who may actually be verbally consenting, engage in sexual intercourse. This illegality extends to include an individual that is forbidden to have sex with anyone under 16 who is not three years within their partner’s age. If an individual has sexual contact, intercourse or otherwise with a person who is under 16 it is classified as statutory rape.

    Further, individuals who work in a job that deals with students, patients, or individuals of the sort are barred from engaging in intercourse with those they are either teaching or counseling. These acts are forbidden under any circumstance, no matter the age of the alleged victim.

    There is a nine-month mandatory minimum jail sentence for most statutory rape convictions. However, depending on the severity of the charge, an individual may receive multiple years of incarceration.

    Statutory vs. Standard Rape Charges

    Statutory rape cases are different because in most cases, the complaining party is technically consenting, so it is not a forceful rape. Usually, with these cases of sexual assault in the second degree, one party is too young.

    The act is not usually forced, but the statute says these two parties are not allowed to be together because it prevents one of the parties from legally consenting.

    Role of the SVU

    Stamford sex crime investigations are initiated when someone makes a report to the police. At the Stamford police department, as with most police departments in Connecticut, there is a Special Victim’s Unit (SVU) to investigate rape and sexual assault crimes. These units offer specialized, specifically trained detectives who know how to investigate a rape accusation.

    Law enforcement will take videos and statements, examine medical evidence, and perform SART interviews. They have a very strict protocol of what they need to do to build a successful rape or sexual assault case. Because of this, an individual should hire a Stamford statutory rape lawyer who has experience in handling these types of investigations as well as defending them if they escalate into an arrest and a criminal case in Stamford.

    Third Party Allegation

    Because the alleged victim is usually consenting in most of these cases and only prohibited from consenting by law, a lot of times it is another person making the complaint on their behalf.

    For example, if the parents find out that their daughter is dating someone much older, it could be the parents making the complaint. Many times, a person is not getting the allegation directly from the party being affected, but by a parent or another supervisor.

    In some cases, these allegations can affect how the case plays out in court. If the alleged victim does not want prosecution, it will cause the prosecutors to perhaps come to a plea negotiation a bit easier.

    However, the prosecutors typically view those defendants as a danger to the public, in general. Regardless of what the alleged victim is saying, they are still going to prosecute vigorously because they think they are protecting the community. To best combat this prosecution, it is imperative that an individual contact a Stamford statutory rape lawyer.

    Sex Offender Registration

    The sex offender registry is a penalty an individual will suffer if they are convicted at trial or plead guilty during a plea bargain of a sexual assault crime.

    There are two kinds of sex offender registration in Connecticut. There is Law Enforcement Only (LEO) registration, which is often more desirable because it is not publicly available. LEO sex registration in Stamford only requires an individual to register with the local police department in which they live. There is also public registration, which applies to the majority of sex assault, sex offender, child pornography, and other sex crimes.

    The sex offender registry is usually a minimum of ten years, but there can be a mandatory lifetime registration depending on the seriousness of the crime. To avoid such harsh penalties, it is crucial that an individual hires a Stamford statutory rape lawyer as soon as possible. An experienced attorney will be able to mount a solid defense to help lessen any potential consequences to the charge.

    Potential Penalties

    The potential penalties for statutory rape in Stamford are less serious than for forceful rape, but are still very serious, especially if the victim is under 16 years of age. Regardless of whether the individual consents, the party pleading guilty will face mandatory minimum jail time.

    Depending on the age of the alleged victim in a statutory rape case, an individual could be facing upwards of 10 years in jail, heavy fines, probation, and sex offender registration.

    These penalties only apply to the person having perpetrating sexual contact with someone who cannot consent. Even if the alleged victim seemed to initiate the relationship, because of their age, they cannot legally consent.

    Benefit of an Experienced Lawyer

    When hiring a Stamford statutory rape attorney, the experience they have is often their most important quality. An individual that has experience with both the case, the subject matter, the court, and the law enforcement officers in Stamford will have the best opportunity at building a successful case on their client’s behalf.