Matawan New Jersey Sex Crimes Defense Lawyer
The Iler Law Firm represents individuals charged with sexual assault, endangering the welfare of a child, and criminal sexual contact throughout New Jersey including in Rumson, Fair Haven, Neptune, and Freehold. Our criminal defense lawyers are available immediately for a free initial consultation at (732)842-7787.
Statutory Rape Charges in New Jersey: Sexual Assault
In New Jersey, we don't have a statutory rape charge. Instead, these types of offenses are governed by the aggravated sexual assault statute, N.J.S.A. 2C:14-2. The degree of offense you are facing depends on the age of the victim and the circumstances surrounding the alleged incident. In general, the age of consent in New Jersey is sixteen (16). Thus, if you are an adult and you have sexual intercourse with a minor under the age of 16, you can be charged with statutory rape (aggravated sexual assault). However, depending on your age at the time of the incident (you are within four (4) years of age to the alleged victim) this charge may change. Moreover, if you are related to the victim or you have supervisory power over the victim (such as a teacher or a coach), this can effect the nature of the charges against you. As a result, it is imperative that you contact an experienced criminal defense lawyer to assist you. Our lawyers are available at (732)842-7787 to provide immediate assistance.
Monmouth County Statutory Rape Charges
Our office recently represented a client in Monmouth County Superior Court in Freehold charged with Second Degree Aggravated Sexual Assault and Third Degree Endangering the Welfare of a Minor. Our client was facing eight (8) to fifteen (15) years in prison if convicted of these charges. Our client was 31 years old at the time of the alleged incident and the alleged victim was 14. As you can imagine, these types of cases are extremely complex and emotional for all parties involved. This alleged incident was completely consensual. However, because the victim was 14 years old at the time of the incident, she did not have the power to consent in New Jersey. Thus, if the DNA results came back positive, our client was facing significant prison time. Further, our client vehemently denied knowing her age and assumed she was much older. However, the fact that he did not know she was 14 is not a defense to the charges against him. Our office was able to work out a plea agreement with the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office. This plea agreement significantly limited our client's exposure to prison time.
