Indiana’s laws against child molesting and other offenses that are under the age of consent are actually quite broad. They of course cover sexual intercourse and related behavior, but they also apply to other forms of conduct that could, depending on the context, also be innocent behavior.
To be specific, an Indianapolis resident can face arrest and prosecution for a serious sex crime simply by touching someone under 14 in a way that the police or child welfare caseworker deems to be inappropriately sexual or romantic.
In other words, if a prosecutor feels that he or she can make out a case that the touching with an intent to arouse sexual desire, of either the child or the adult, then the prosecutor can attempt to send the person to prison for a long time, as well as ask for strict and costly terms of probation. If convicted, a person may also wind up on the state’s Sex Offender Registry. Not surprisingly, a conviction also has severe repercussions with respect to one’s professional life and personal reputation.
In many cases, what the state tries to make out as a sexual touch was arguably innocent or merely affectionate conduct. In other cases, since it is a bit harder to prove whether and to what extent a person touched someone else, an allegation may be grossly exaggerated.
The stakes are high in any allegation of sex crimes, and a person may quickly realize that it will be hard to defend against the charges against him or her without professional legal help. These are sensitive cases, and they require the help of a skilled defense attorney.