Dishonesty about age can make things complicated for the victim and the alleged aggressor. Age is always a big deal with sex crimes, so this is a detail that can change lives. Honesty is important on both sides since reasonable mistakes lead to long-term consequences.

Avoiding Bad Situations

Getting accused of sex crimes starts by avoiding a bad situation that requires highly skilled sex crime lawyers. Accusations tend to stall without proof, so preventing bad situations is always a possibility. Being in the ‘wrong place at the wrong time’ is not a legal defense to use with sex crime accusations. The accused can very well be the victim of a sex crime if the facts don’t line up. Individuals have the power to stay out of bad situations that lead to sex crime charges. This is the first and most important step to avoiding time in court trying to defend your life choices. Age-related sex crimes are impactful, and will always be punished to the full extent of the law.  

Age Related Sex Crimes

Child sex crimes are treated differently than adult sex crimes. Age is strongly tied to consent, and the penalties can be severe. Sexual abuse, assault, and rape are some of the common sex crimes discussed in the legal system. When a minor is a victim, charges for exploitation are strongly considered when deciding punishment.

Each state has its own age of consent rules that need to be followed. These local rules play heavily into determining the severity of age-related sex crimes. In rare situations, these laws can be abused by individuals with dishonest intent. A significant age difference between the victim and the accused can be the strong point of a conviction. This has led to strong attention in cases where the accused is a juvenile that is only a few years older than the minor.

Dishonesty Related to Age

Ignorance of the law is not an excuse to break it. And if an individual lies about their age, you’re still responsible for the outcome of the encounter. A reasonable mistake of age creates a situation where the accused has to defend their personal choices. Since only a few states consider the mistake of age defense, legal options become limited.

The burden of proof is on the accused when dishonesty of age is brought up in a case. Limitations to this defense are tied to age as it is unlikely to be a valid defense when the victim is a preteen. The age of 13 is usually the cutoff age for this defense, but each case will have its own age thresholds.

Under these limited circumstances, lies told by the victim can be used as proof of dishonesty related to age. Any written or digital proof of age dishonesty can further solidify a defense in a case where consent is involved. But the same proof becomes largely irrelevant when rape or assault are the defining factors of an age dishonesty case.

Know Your Rights

Individuals will always describe the same experience in their own personal way. Unfortunately, a reasonable mistake is not always an excuse for a crime. Deal with sex crime accusations with a level head and you’ll always be in a better position.