Child sexual abuse is any sexual contact between a child and an adult or another child. Sexual abuse or assault of a child includes a wide range of behaviors:
- Actual or attempted penetration of the anus or vagina
- Oral sexual contact
- Fondling or touching the child's private parts of forcing the child to touch another's private parts
- Exposing children to adult sexual activity or pornographic materials
- Having children perform in pornographic movies or pose for pornographic materials.
One in every four girls and one in every six boys will be a victim of sexual abuse before the age of 18. Child sexual abuse occurs in all neighborhoods, and in all racial, ethnic, and socio-economic groups. The Rhode
Island Children's Advocacy Center (RI CAC) serves sexually abused or severely physically abused children and individuals with a developmental disability and their non-offending family members. Children who
experience abuse prior to their fourteenth birthday are eligible for referral to the CAC.
RHODE ISLAND CHILD ABUSE STATUTES
– A person is guilty of first degree child molestation sexual assault if he or she engages in sexual penetration with a person fourteen
(14) years of age or under.
§ 11-37-8.3 Second degree child molestation sexual assault. – A person is guilty of a second
degree child molestation sexual assault if he or she engages in sexual contact with another person fourteen (14) years of age or under.
§ 11-37-6 Third degree sexual assault.
– A person is guilty of third degree sexual assault if he or she is over the age of eighteen (18) years and engaged in sexual penetration with another person
over the age of fourteen (14) years and under the age of consent, sixteen (16) years of age.
§ 11-37-8.8 Indecent solicitation of a child. – (a) A person is guilty of indecent solicitation of a
child if he or she knowingly solicits another person under eighteen (18) years of age or one whom he or she believes is a person under eighteen (18) years of age for the purpose of engaging in an act of
prostitution or in any act in violation of chapter 9, 34, or 37 of this title. (b) As used in this section, the word "solicit" or "solicitation" means to command, authorize, urge, incite, request, or advise
another to perform an act by any means including, but not limited to, in person, over the phone, in writing, by computer, through the Internet, or by advertisement of any kind.
