New Jersey students may be interested to learn that, on Aug. 28, a former student at a New Hampshire prep school who was accused of raping a 15-year-old girl was found not guilty. The former student, age 19, was still found guilty of several other related charges that could still result in an 11-year prison sentence.
The trial heavily focused on what was referred to as the "senior salute," where those preparing to graduate would invite underclassmen to join them in activities, many of which were often sexual. The accuser stated that she accepted the former student's invitation but was not willing to have sexual intercourse. She claimed that he kept pushing her until she was unable to resist due to fear. The former student was found not guilty of three felony counts of sexual assault. He was, however, found guilty of having sex with an underage person and using the Internet for seducing an underage individual.
The former student's attorney argued that the computer-related seduction offense was over-reaching as it was meant for online sexual predators of younger children.
Those who have been charged with a sex crime not only face a prison sentence, they potentially face being required to register as a sex offender. A criminal law attorney may provide a strong defense in order to protect the person against charges and the punishments, especially if there is evidence that the accuser was lying or misidentified their attacker.
Source: Reuters, "Former New Hampshire prep school student not guilty of rape", Ted Siefer, Aug. 28, 2015