I can’t imagine what it would be like to have to turn in your own child, but that is exactly the situation one mother was recently put into. According to the news report, the mother got up in the very early hours one morning to get a drink when she saw her 17-year-old son leaving the area where a 10-year-old girl was sleeping. The mother confronted the girl and asked her what happened. She disclosed that she woke up to the boy touching her and when she tried to push him away, he continued to touch her. The mother called 911 to report her son and he fled the home. He was later caught and arrested for Sexual Assault on a Child.
Weld County Juvenile Sexual Assault on a Child Attorney: What is Sexual Assault on a Child?
The Colorado law definition of Sexual Assault on a Child – C.R.S. 18-3-405 – is:
In the story above, the girl was under the age of fifteen and the boy was 7 years older than her, so the Sex Assault on a Child crime would apply. According to the law, ‘sexual contact’ means:
Because the girl claimed that the 17-year-old touched her private parts, the contact would meet the criteria to be considered sexual contact.
Greeley Juvenile Defense Attorney: What is a Parent’s Responsibility in Reporting a Crime?
The mother in the story above probably felt like she was in an impossible situation. While it was not specifically discussed in the news article, the mother obviously has some connection to the girl and was acting as a guardian while she was staying at the house. The problem with trying to get your child help in Greeley, Erie, Evans, and all across Colorado is the mandatory reporting law. If a parent witnesses or hears about an issue similar to the one above, there is no way to get a child help without getting the law involved. Once anyone discloses a sexual crime against a child to a therapist, doctor, teacher, psychologist, social worker, day care provider, foster parent, school personnel or even a clergy member, there is a legal obligation to report the crime to law enforcement. This means that trying to handle things appropriately and get your child help will most likely only end in a criminal investigation.
If your child has been charged with Sexual Assault on a Child in Weld, Morgan, and Logan County, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and contact the best juvenile criminal defense attorneys from the O’Malley Law Office at 970-616-6009 today. Together, we can protect your child’s future.
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