Tulsa, Oklahoma has a number of laws that protect children from lewd acts and other types of sexual abuse.
There is some overlap between these laws that allows prosecutors some leeway in determining how to charge and prosecute.
One of the statutes most often used is a broad statute that prohibits any indecent or lewd acts or proposals with a child. Here is what you need to know.
Lewd Molestation of a Minor Under 16 is a Crime
One such law is that which prohibits knowingly and intentionally engaging in any sort of lewd or indecent act with a child. It also prohibits making any sort of lewd or indecent proposal to a child under the age of 16, or reasonably believed to be under the age of 16. Okla. Stat. tit. 21 § 1123
The statute prohibits indecent or lewd acts and proposals. The law contains a laundry list of prohibited acts.
You may not:
- look upon, touch, maul, or feel the body or private parts of any child under the age of 16 in any lewd or lascivious manner;
- urinate or defecate upon a child or force the child to do the same to the adult for the purposes of sexual gratification;
- ejaculate upon or in the presence of a child;
- force a child to touch or feel their own body parts or the body parts of another;
- make a child view any pornographic or sexual materials or acts;
- engage in sexual touching of any sort, including all sexual acts with a child, such as fondling, masturbation, and sexual bondage;
- sexually expose yourself to a child; or
- entice a child to a private location with the intent to have sexual contact.
This statute is meant to act as a catch-all to ensure prosecution when the crime involved doesn’t quite fit other statutes.
Oklahoma law also prohibits all sorts of sexual communication with children. It is intended to prohibit the luring of children by sexual predators, whether that communication is made in person, on a phone, or via an electronic or digital platform such as Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, or the like.
Punishment for Lewd Acts with a Child is Harsh
Child sexual abuse is a felony in Oklahoma.
If convicted of lewd acts with a child under 16, an adult could spend 3 to 20 years in prison. The penalty is at least 25 years in prison if the child is under 12.
Repeat offenders could be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
In addition, people convicted of child sexual abuse are not eligible for probation or suspended or deferred sentences.
Once released, you must register with the sex offender registry. This is often the most difficult part of a conviction. It also limits where you may work and live.
Strategy Session with a Tulsa Criminal Defense Attorney
Your freedom is important. Do not risk incarceration by trying to go it alone. We offer an initial strategy session with an experienced Tulsa criminal defense attorney.
Call Wirth Law Office – Tulsa at 918-879-1681 or toll free at 1-888-Wirth-Law (1-888-947-8452). You can also submit the question form at the top right of this page.
