Being accused of any criminal offense should not be taken lightly. This is especially true for cases in which the defendant is accused of a sexual criminal offense, such as sexual assault. Sex crime convictions carry stiff penalties in Wisconsin. Recently, a teenager has been accused of sexually assaulting another teenager.
Police say that a 17-year-old male defendant has been charged with second-degree sexual assault. According to the complaint made against the defendant, the defendant asked a 14-year-old female to perform a sexual act in a school parking lot. The criminal complaint also states that the 14-year-old agreed to the sexual act. Because the incident involved the 17-year-old defendant and a 14-year-old girl, the defendant was charged with felony second-degree sexual assault. According to Wisconsin law, no individual under the age of 14 can consent to sex.
In Wisconsin, there are more than 30 criminal offenses that require registration on the state’s sex offender registry. One of these criminal offenses is second-degree sexual assault. A defendant on the registration must typically stay on the state’s registry for 15 years, and the length of time could be longer depending on the circumstances. A person convicted of sexual assault not only faces having their private information released on the registry, they may also face prejudice from the community and find it difficult to find a place to live as many communities now have restrictions on where sex offenders may live.
An accusation of a serious crime like sexual assault could affect a defendant and their family’s reputation in the community; it is important that a defendant in this situation seek out defenses that may assist in reducing possible penalties. All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Source: WISN-TV, ” Family of accused Mequon teen in sex assault case speaks out,” April 6, 2013