Rape charges are very serious, but rape of a minor charges are the most severe. Forcibly engaging in an unwanted sexual act involving penetration is rape, and can be considered gross sexual assault.
Under Maine Code §253, “gross sexual assault to have sexual intercourse with a person under age 14 is punishable by up to 30 years in prison. If the age gap is far enough apart, even consensual sex with a minor is considered a form of rape. Statutory rape laws declare that a minor under the age of 14 cannot give consent to sexual activity.
Under Maine Code §255, “any person 3+ years older than a victim who engages in sexual contact with any person under 14 years old” can be charged with a class C crime, or a class B crime if it involved penetration.
The penalties of these crimes are then decided accordingly, as a class C felony is punishable by up to 5 years in jail and a $15,000 fine, and a class B felony is punishable by up to 10 years in jail and a $20,000 fine.
