Sexual conduct with a minor is a sex crime in Arizona. You face extremely harsh penalties if you and long-term consequences in your life if are convicted of this offense.
After your arrest, one of your first steps should be to hire an experienced criminal defense lawyer who can help you mount an aggressive defense to try to get the charges dismissed or reduced to a less serious offense.
Sexual conduct with a minor is referred to as statutory rape in other states. Under Arizona law, sexual intercourse is defined as a sexual activity involving the penetration into the penis, vulva, or anus by any part of a body or an object or masturbatory contact with the penis or vulva.
Oral sexual contact is oral sexual contact with the vulva or penis. Anyone under 18 years old is a minor in Arizona. A person accused of sexual conduct with a minor cannot use a claim that they thought the minor was over 18 years old as a defense. If the minor is 14 years or younger, the crime would be a Class 2 felony. When the victim is 15 years or older, the offense would be a Class 6 felony in many cases. However, if the offender were in a position of trust, the charge would be elevated to a Class 2 felony.
An individual would be considered in a position of trust if they are one of the following:. In addition, a person convicted of sexual conduct with a minor would face long-term consequences. They would have a permanent criminal record that could limit their ability to obtain employment, housing, education, and more.
