Statutory Rape

Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 265, Section 23 punishes the crime of Statutory Rape with imprisonment for life or for any term of years in State Prison or the House of Corrections. A subsequent conviction for Statutory Rape, however, carries a minimum-mandatory sentence to State Prison for a term of not less than 15 years.

Unlike the crime of Rape of a Child Under Sixteen, which requires that the act be under the guise of force or that the victim submitted to a threat of bodily injury, the crime of Statutory Rape does not require that any such force to have been used or threatened.

Statutory Rape is a what is referred to as a ‘strict liability crime’, meaning that even the consent of the victim is immaterial for prosecution, and even a reasonable mistake as to the age of the victim is not a defense. As such, the only elements the prosecutor would have to prove for the crime of Statutory Rape are:

1. Sexual intercourse or unnatural sexual intercourse;
2. With a child under 16 years of age.

As with all crimes related to Rape, a conviction for the crime of Statutory Rape would render the defendant subject to Sex Offender Registration with the Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry; require him/her to submit DNA to the state’s DNA database; could result in a term of community parole superivision for life to be imposed; and may serve as a predicate sexual offense for civil commitment as a ‘sexually dangerous person.’

Boston Criminal Lawyer Lefteris K. Travayiakis has experience in defending persons accused of Rape Crimes, and is available 24/7 for consultation to help explain and defend your legal rights.

To schedule a Free Consultation with a Boston Rape Lawyer, Contact Us Online or call 617-325-9500.