Maryland prosecutors push for better protections for child sex abuse victims – WTOP News

A few of Maryland’s high prosecutors got here collectively to assist a lot of payments that they consider would higher shield youngsters from sexual abuse and assist reply to youngsters who might grow to be victims of human trafficking.

Throughout a information convention Tuesday, the state’s attorneys from Montgomery, Prince George’s and Frederick counties pushed for a bicameral invoice which might, of their opinion, shut a loophole that exists within the prosecution of people in “positions of authority” accused of sexually abusing a toddler.

“Sadly, a lot of the instances that we see, the person who takes benefit of the 16 and 17-year-old people is considerably older, and plenty of cases a long time older, than the 16 or 17-year-old,” Montgomery County State’s Lawyer John McCarthy stated.

The regulation would increase the definition of a “particular person in place of authority” into embrace somebody outdoors of a college — resembling a volunteer, a camp counselor, or a music instructor — accused of sexually abusing a minor they’ve authority over, so long as the particular person being prosecuted is 21 or older.

McCarthy stated there have been conditions the place people wait for a kid, whom they’ve authority over, to show the age of 16 as a way to start a sexual relationship with them.

The age of consent in Maryland is 16 years outdated.

“They know exactly what they’re doing,” McCarthy stated. “It’s grooming.”

McCarthy stated the problem in prosecuting these instances is that there’s a care and custody situation at present standing in the way in which of prosecuting some accused abusers. Proper now, McCarthy stated schoolteachers will be charged in these conditions as a result of they clearly have custody of youngsters at a college. Nevertheless, he cited a scenario during which a music instructor was participating in sexual exercise with a woman at a house, however since her father was ready in a close-by room, prosecutors couldn’t present the music instructor had clear custody of the kid on the time.

In accordance with prosecutors, some lawmakers expressed considerations about hypothetical conditions involving, as an example, a 21-year-old instructing assistant and a 17-year-old scholar, the place the age hole is sufficient to set off the costs within the proposed invoice however each are college students.

“I’ll inform you. I’ve been doing this for 23 years. I’ve by no means seen that situation play out. We don’t prosecute these instances,” stated Debbie Feinstein, Chief of the Particular Victims Unit for the Montgomery County State’s Lawyer’s Workplace.

Whereas a model of the invoice has handed by means of the Home, McCarthy stated the invoice together with an analogous Senate model wants “assist” shifting by means of the Senate.

The prosecutors additionally voiced assist for a pair of comparable payments which might grant victims of kid trafficking immunity from prosecution for an inventory of “qualifying offenses” that occurred whereas they have been the victims of trafficking. A few of these offenses embrace intercourse, medicine, housebreaking and fraud crimes, amongst others.

“We shouldn’t be in search of to prosecute youngsters who’ve been abused, however slightly to help them in dwelling full and full lives,” stated Prince George’s County State’s Lawyer Aisha Braveboy.

The invoice would additionally guarantee victims are referred to correct companies by means of the Regional Navigator Program, which helps trafficking victims 24 and underneath get the companies they want.

A home and Senate model of the so-called “Protected Harbor” invoice nonetheless wants to maneuver by means of the Senate.

If the invoice makes it by means of the Common Meeting and will get the governor’s signature, it will take impact Oct. 1.