Youngsters and Sexual Assault Laws

The public needs laws that will protect children from becoming the prey of pedophiles. However, the way sexual assault laws are structured in North Carolina, it's likely to involve young people who find themselves in inadvisable—albeit consensual—high school relationships. These youngsters could find themselves swept up in laws primarily intended for predatory adults.

So the question often arises: How does society balance that with the fact that teenagers really can't give meaningful consent under the law for things that they are not fully-equipped to deal with? These issues, among others, are why many people agree that sex laws in the state may be too harsh—possibly unethical.

According to Parents for Megan’s Law Inc., there are currently 20,605 registered sex offenders in North Carolina, and this number doesn’t distinguish between sex offenders who once committed minor sex offenses and those that are truly violent and dangerous. In that sense, there’s a huge chance that law enforcement is wasting time and resources on people who don’t pose a real threat.

There’s a long way to go before the system will be reformed. In the meantime, if you’re a young person facing a sexual assault charge, talk to a reputable criminal defense lawyer immediately so the facts of the case can be determined and the proper defense can be mounted.  Otherwise, the consequences of a conviction could follow you for most of your adult life.