A 44-year-old Orange County mother has been charged with having sex with her son’s hockey teammates. According to an MSN news report, the alleged sex acts involved a minor under the age of 16 and another under the age of 14. The report states that the woman threw parties for son’s hockey team during which she provided alcohol. During an investigation into whether or not she had a sexual relationship for over a year and a half with a boy who is now 18, a younger boy stepped forward and told officials he had a sexual relationship with the woman as well.
In California, the charges someone may face for lewd acts with a minor are directly tied to the age of the victim. The most serious of the California Penal Code 288 laws involve conduct with a child under the age of 14. Child molestation, for example, may involve a lewd act with a child under 14 or a child who is 14 or 15 but is 10 years younger than the defendant. Individuals under the age of 18 cannot legally provide consent to have sex. In such cases, an adult who has sex with a minor can be charged with statutory rape in California – regardless of the defendant’s belief that the act was consensual.
The consequences of a sex crime charge can be devastating. Even if the defendant is not convicted, the allegations alone can have a tremendous impact on a person’s reputation. Fighting these types of charges can be challenging, not to mention emotionally devastating. The experienced Orange County sex crime defense attorneys at Sitkoff & Hanrahan fight hard to protect the rights of our clients. If you or a loved one is facing a sex crime charge, please call our offices at 866-430-8383 to discuss your case at absolutely no cost.