When a young person is charged with a crime, it can dramatically alter the course of their life. Juvenile crime can result in serious penalties. If convicted of a more serious charge, such as sexual assault or homicide, a teenager may have to deal with the consequences of their conviction well into adulthood.
One Norfolk teen is facing felony charges after a girl reported being sexually assaulted at Booker T. Washington High School. The 14-year-old girl’s mother told news reporters that her daughter came home from school shaken up with marks on her body. The girl said that a boy she knew asked her to leave class via text. The girl obliged and the two ended up in a school stairwell. Once there, the girl alleges that the boy pushed her into a wall and attempted to fondle her. The girl managed to escape and tell a teacher.
After an investigation, school officials took disciplinary action. The 16-year-old boy is being monitored by officers at a local juvenile detention center but is not being held in custody. He is currently facing abduction and aggravated sexual battery charges. The case will go to a bench trial sometime this month.
Sex offenses are taken very seriously in the state of Virginia, whether the accused is an adult or a juvenile. Defending against these charges is possible and essential to making sure the accused is treated fairly. With the proper defense in place, charges may be lessened in severity or dropped all together. A criminal charge without a conviction could be seen by many as a wrongful accusation, which would allow the child to live a normal life.
Source: WAVY, “Student charged with sex crimes against classmate,” Brandi Cummings’ March 24, 2015
