A statutory rape conviction can lead to serious consequences. For the most minor offenses, you can be sentenced to one to five years in jail. The most serious offenses are considered gross sexual assault and can lead to up to 30 years of jail time.
In addition, a conviction can lead to mandatory registration as a sex offender and can affect your child custody status. A sex crime conviction will show up on a background check and may lead to you being passed over for educational and career opportunities. It can even affect where you are allowed to live.
Maine statutory rape laws are complicated and include very specific stipulations. In general, a minor under the age of 16 cannot consent to sexual acts. There are exceptions to this law, however.
If the minor is over the age of 14 and the defendant is less than 5 years older, consensual sexual acts between the two are not considered statutory rape. If the minor is at least 14 and the defendant is less than 10 years older, voluntary sexual contact is not considered a crime.
If the minor is under 14 years old, sexual contact with a person less than 3 years older and sexual touching with a person 5 years older is not considered statutory rape as long as it is consensual.
The levels of charges in a statutory rape case can vary.
The most serious crimes are considered gross sexual assault.
You can be charged with gross sexual assault for engaging in a sexual act with someone under the age of 14. You will be charged with unlawful sexual contact if you have sexual contact with someone under 14 and are at least 3 years older than that person.
An unlawful sexual touching charge will arise if you are at least 5 years older than the alleged victim and are accused of sexual touching a minor less than 14 years of age.
Finally, you will be charged with sexual abuse of a minor in cases where you engage in sexual contact with a minor who is older than 14 but younger than 16 and you are at least 10 years older than the minor.
