Charged with Unlawful Sexual Activity with a Minor
Utah has several different offenses which technically constitute “statutory rape,” but the term “statutory rape” is not actually used in Utah. Instead, Utah uses terms such as “unlawful sexual activity with a minor” (Utah Code 76-5-401) “sexual abuse of a minor” (Utah Code 401.1) and “unlawful sexual conduct with a 16 or 17 year old” (Utah Code 401.2).
The degree of the offense depends on how old both the victim and the alleged aggressor were at the time of the sexual activity and what type of sexual activity occurred. The various offenses for unlawful sexual activity with a minor include the following:
- If the victim was 14 or 15 years old at the time of the sexual activity, the defendant was no more than three years older than the victim, and the sexual conduct included sexual intercourse, oral stimulation, or object penetration then the offense constitutes a class B misdemeanor. Utah Code 76-5-401.
- If the victim was 14 or 15 years old at the time of the sexual activity, the defendant was younger than 21 years old at the time of the offense, and the sexual conduct included sexual intercourse, oral stimulation, or object penetration then the offense constitutes as class A misdemeanor. Utah Code 76-5-401.
- If the victim was 14 or 15 years old at the time of the sexual activity, the defendant was older than 21 years, and the sexual conduct included sexual intercourse, oral stimulation, or object penetration then the offense constitutes a third degree felony. Utah Code 76-5-401.
- If the victim was 16 or 17 years old at the time of the sexual activity, the defendant was 7 years older but less than 10 years older than the victim, and the sexual conduct included sexual intercourse, oral sex, or penetration however slight then the offense constitutes a third degree felony. Utah Code 76-5-401.2
- If the victim was 16 or 17 years old at the time of the sexual activity, the defendant was 7 years older but less than 10 years older than the victim, and the sexual conduct included the touching of the private areas of the victim’s body then the offense constitutes a class A misdemeanor. Utah Code 76-5-401.2.
- If the victim is 14 or 15 years old and the perpetrator is more than four years older than the victim, but younger than 21 years of age, and the sexual contact includes the touching of the private areas of the victim’s body then the offense constitutes a class A misdemeanor and constitutes sexual abuse of a minor. Utah Code 76-5-401.1.
Contact Our Defense Attorneys to Fight for You
Because unlawful sexual activity with a minor charges are difficult to defend you will want the experienced and savvy attorneys at Salcido Law Firm PLLC to defend your interests. The significant jail time associated with statutory rape charges along with a mandatory 10 year term of registering as a sex offender should be reason enough to get us on your side.
Call/text us anytime to talk about your case at 801.413.1753. You can also email us and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Get Protected! against statutory rape charges.