How Do I Help My Son

[curiousJ]

so much for be gentle.

[cyjeff]

My question is... do the parents have to press charges for them to convict him? What if the parents don't want him convicted?

The parents don't press charges. The DA presses charges.

This is statutory rape. The parents don't get a say in this one.

Would the Romeo and Juliet Laws help us at all?

Nope. Not even a little.

I sure would hate to see his life totally screwed up because of this.

Then I would close my eyes.

Please be gentle in your replies. This is tough enough already.

Sorry, this isn't a good place to try and find "gentle" for a child molester. Which is exactly what a 19 year old having sexual relations with a 14 year old is.

[cyjeff]

Let's start off with sexual abuse....

709.4 Sexual abuse in the third degree.

A person commits sexual abuse in the third degree when the person performs a sex act under any of the following circumstances:

1. The act is done by force or against the will of the other person, whether or not the other person is the person's spouse or is cohabiting with the person.

2. The act is between persons who are not at the time cohabiting as husband and wife and if any of the following are true:

a. The other person is suffering from a mental defect or incapacity which precludes giving consent.

b. The other person is twelve or thirteen years of age.

c. The other person is fourteen or fifteen years of age and any of the following are true:

(1) The person is a member of the same household as the other person.

(2) The person is related to the other person by blood or affinity to the fourth degree.

(3) The person is in a position of authority over the other person and uses that authority to coerce the other person to submit.

(4) The person is four or more years older than the other person.

3. The act is performed while the other person is under the influence of a controlled substance, which may include but is not limited to flunitrazepam, and all of the following are true:

a. The controlled substance, which may include but is not limited to flunitrazepam, prevents the other person from consenting to the act.

b. The person performing the act knows or reasonably should have known that the other person was under the influence of the controlled substance, which may include but is not limited to flunitrazepam.

4. The act is performed while the other person is mentally incapacitated, physically incapacitated, or physically helpless.

Sexual abuse in the third degree is a class "C" felony.

[cyjeff]

Then there's...

709.8 Lascivious acts with a child.
It is unlawful for any person sixteen years of age or older to perform any of the following acts with a child with or without the child’s consent unless married to each other, for the purpose of arousing or satisfying the sexual desires of either of them:
1. Fondle or touch the pubes or genitals of a child.
2. Permit or cause a child to fondle or touch the person’s genitals or pubes.
3. Solicit a child to engage in a sex act or solicit a person to arrange a sex act with a child.
4. Inflict pain or discomfort upon a child or permit a child to inflict pain or discomfort on the person.
Any person who violates a provision of this section involving an act included in subsection 1 or 2 shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a class “C” felony. Any person who violates a provision of this section involving an act included in subsection 3 or 4 shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a class “D” felony.
[S13, §4938–a; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, § 13184; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, §725.2; C75, 77, §725.10; C79, 81, §709.8]
85 Acts, ch 181, §1; 96 Acts, ch 1062, §1 ; 2000 Acts, ch 1165, §1 ; 2005 Acts, ch 158, §35
Definition of sex act, § 702.17

and...

709A.1 Contributing to delinquency.
It shall be unlawful:
1. To encourage any child under eighteen years of age to commit any act of delinquency defined in chapter 232 .
2. To knowingly send, cause to be sent, or induce to go, any child under the age of eighteen to any of the following:
a. A brothel or other premises used for the purposes of prostitution, with the intent that the child engage the services of a prostitute.
b. An unlicensed premises where alcoholic liquor, wine, or beer is unlawfully sold or kept for sale.
c. Any premises the use of which constitutes a violation of chapter 717A , or section 725.5 or 725.10 .
3. To knowingly encourage, contribute, or in any manner cause such child to violate any law of this state, or any ordinance of any city.
4. To knowingly permit, encourage, or cause such child to be guilty of any vicious or immoral conduct.
5. For a parent willfully to fail to support the parent’s child under eighteen years of age whom the parent has a legal obligation to support.

Believe it or not, your son got off light. In Iowa, the age of consent is 14.... now, if he had schtupped a COW, then he would be going to prison for the rest of his life... but for having a little back and forth with a little girl, it looks like only a couple of felonies...

Literally.... time to write your congressman...

[cyjeff]

Oops, forgot another one...

710.10 Enticing away a minor.
1. A person commits a class “C” felony when, without authority and with the intent to commit sexual abuse or sexual exploitation upon a minor under the age of thirteen, the person entices away the minor under the age of thirteen, or entices away a person reasonably believed to be under the age of thirteen.
2. A person commits a class “D” felony when, without authority and with the intent to commit an illegal act upon a minor under the age of sixteen, the person entices away a minor under the age of sixteen, or entices away a person reasonably believed to be under the age of sixteen.
3. A person commits an aggravated misdemeanor when, without authority and with the intent to commit an illegal act upon a minor under the age of sixteen, the person attempts to entice away a minor under the age of sixteen, or attempts to entice away a person reasonably believed to be under the age of sixteen.
4. A person’s intent to commit a violation of this section may be inferred when the person is not known to the person being enticed away and the person does not have the permission of the parent, guardian, or custodian to contact the person being enticed away.
5. For purposes of determining jurisdiction under section 803.1 , an offense is considered committed in this state if the communication to entice away a minor or a person believed to be a minor who is present in this state originates from another state, or the communication to entice away a minor or a person believed to be a minor is sent from this state.