What Is The Law Regarding Child Molestation In Rhode Island? Being accused of child molestation is a very serious crime, wherever you live in the world. In the United States, each state has its own laws regarding child molestation. In Rhode Island, being charged with child molestation can negatively impact the rest of your life, even forcing you to register on the public sex offender database. First degree child molestation in Rhode Island is when sexual penetration takes place with a child who is under fourteen years of age. Second degree is when you have sexual contact with a child younger than fourteen. The penalties vary based on the type of child molestation you are being charged with, what injuries were sustained, the relationship between you and the child and how many times the child was molested. Rhode Island Code Chapter 11 to 37 states that first degree child molestation is when a person is found guilty of sexual assault where they sexually penetrated a child of fourteen or younger. The sentencing for this crime is serious and can result in a minimum of twentyeight years imprisonment, with the possibility of being imprisoned for life There are a wide number of factors that can increase or reduce your sentencing. The age of the child, any injuries and how often the molestation occurred will all impact your imprisonment. For example, if you didn't have a relationship with the child and no injuries were caused and it only happened once, then you may face up to fifteen years in prison, rather than a life sentence. If you had a close relationship with the child (maybe a family member), but there were no injuries and it only occurred once, then you may experience up to twenty years in prison, for example. In addition to this, if you have been charged with child molestation and you had a close relationship with the child, caused moderate injuries and had sex numerous times, then you could face up to thirty years in prison. If there was physical injury and numerous counts of molestation with aggravating circumstances you could face twenty-five years imprisonment to life.
The Rhode Island Code Chapter 11 to 37 states that second degree child molestation is when you are guilty of sexual assault when having sexual contact with a minor that is fourteen years of age or younger. Imprisonment for this charge can be anywhere from six to thirty years. When charged with second degree child molestation and there was no relationship and touching was done over clothing and only happened once, then you could be facing up to three years in prison. When there was no relationship with touching under the clothing which occurred more than once, you could be facing up to eight years in prison. Further, if you had a close relationship with the child and touched over clothing and only once, then you can face three to eight years in prison. But if the touching was under the clothing and you are close family members where it only happened once, you could be facing up to twelve years imprisonment. Being charged with first- or second-degree child molestation is very serious in Rhode Island and you will want to secure yourself quality legal representation to assist you. If found guilty, remember you could be facing a lifetime of imprisonment, registration on the sex offenders’ database, along with electronic monitoring via a GPS device for the rest of your life. About Us: John R Grasso is an attorney admitted to practice in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. He is also admitted at the Federal District Courts. He is a member of the Bar of the United States Supreme Court and has an experienced support team working at his side to help focus on securing a resolution in the shortest period of time. John Grasso represents criminal defendants on misdemeanors and felony charges throughout the area. He handles a wide range of cases on a daily basis including domestic violence cases, immigration disputes, DUI cases, robberies and so much more. To find out more, visit https://www.johngrassolaw.com.