Category: Sex Crimes

By Lawrence Wolf Part of the complexity related to statutory rape law is the fact that each state has its own unique set of laws and different spin on the laws. Because the laws vary a great deal from state to state, it’s important to learn the laws where you live – specifically as they pertain to the following criteria. Age of Consent This is the age at which the state believes a person can legally consent to having sex. California Penal Code Section 261-269 identifies the age of consent for the state of California as 18 years of age. Before 18… Read More

Throughout the United States, colleges are changing the way they address sexual assault, preventing sexual assault on college campuses. After the federal government passed the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act this summer, colleges are facing new rules and regulations regarding the way they handle sexual assault on campus. This new policy requires that students are trained on what consists of a sexual assault, and what to do if you are a bystander that is a witness to this crime. Students are now required to attend orientation on campuses that specifically identifies what sexual assault is, and what one can do to… Read More

Sexual assault is an increasingly common problem on college campuses in California. Unfortunately, in their efforts to address this issue, many campuses go too far. In the aftermath of a few recent and well-publicized incidents, several campuses are pushing for or have already implemented concerning measures that could infringe on the rights of alleged student offenders. According to the Los Angeles Times, California lawmakers are aware of these measures and are currently looking into a proposal that would require schools to be more transparent about their means of disciplining student offenders.  Although it is important for schools to address the growing problem of sexual assault on college campuses, some skeptics… Read More

Following a recent decision by the state Supreme Court, California’s Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is modifying its rules restricting where convicted sex offenders can live. The department and the state’s Supreme Court justices agreed that a 2006 ballot measure imposed requirements that made it too daunting for registered sex offenders to find permanent housing, KGTV San Diego reports. As a result, the number of transient offenders increased, making it more difficult for parole agents to monitor some 6,000 offenders throughout the state. As of the end of February, the state reported more than 1,400 registered sex offenders who did not… Read More

In a recent federal court case, a federal grand jury charged California resident Blake Robert Johnston with several counts of sex-related crimes. Investigators discovered hundreds of illicit photos of minors on Mr. Johnston’s computer. Online records detail Mr. Johnston’s attempts to coerce underage children to engage in sexual activity. Mr. Johnston was also charged with transporting children to engage in criminal sexual activity. As this wasn’t Mr. Johnston’s first infraction involving a minor, the penalties will likely be less lenient. In October 2014, Mr. Johnston faced multiple counts of leaving the state to perpetrate sex-related acts with a minor, reports state. Investigators are… Read More

According to Reason.com, California state legislators are considering a new bill which would impose a two-year mandatory school suspension for any student convicted of a sexual assault by a campus disciplinary hearing. Das Williams (D) introduced the first-of-its-kind bill to address concerns that the state’s academic institutions are not taking on-campus sexually-based assault seriously enough. Currently, 11 universities and colleges in California are under federal Title IX investigations for the way they have handed previous sexual misconduct cases. The proposed bill would affect all of California’s private and public institutes of higher learning accepting government-funded financial assistance for their students. William’s bill… Read More

Explicit photos and other evidence led to the arrest of 9 Venice High School students who are accused of committing lewd acts on a minor. All of the students arrested were male and all were between the ages of 14 and 17; names were not released due to the age of the students in question. Officers arrested the students at school while classes were in session. A 10th student turned himself in shortly after the arrests, while four remain at large. While the students have been arrested, officers are still conducting an investigation into incidents that occurred over the last year.… Read More

Comedian and actor Bill Cosby has been facing sexual assault accusations for weeks by more than 20 women. Now one of his accusers is filing criminal charges, according to TMZ and other reports. On Wednesday, Model Chloe Goins filed criminal charges with the Los Angeles Police Department against Cosby. She claims the comedian drugged and sexually assaulted her in 2008 at the Playboy Mansion. Goins says she woke up naked in a bedroom. At the time, she claims Cosby was masturbating and sucking her toes. She claims something was placed in her drink. She was 18 years old at the… Read More

Last September, California signed the “yes means yes” bill — new legislation to help campus officials better assess rape allegations and sexual assault at colleges and universities (who accept state financial aid). The bill changes the meaning of sexual consent. Each party must make “an affirmative, unambiguous and conscious decision” to participate in sexual activity together. Instead of “no means no,” the new bill creates a new, empowered situation for college students. The absence of resistance or silence can no longer be considered consent. In a majority of states, sexual assault is defined by any kind unsolicited physical touching with… Read More

A 69-year-old registered sex offender has been arrested for allegedly videotaping girls in Los Angeles County. According to a CBS Los Angeles news report, the arrest was made after detectives received a report of the man taping a girl at a Target store on Magic Mountain Parkway in Valencia. During a search of his home, officials allegedly found tapes that he made at the Santa Monica Pier, Real Life Church, Target, and Walmart. According to an online search, he is a registered offender for a number of convictions including lewd or lascivious acts with a child less than 14 years… Read More