This Florida Statute prohibits the sexual union of an adult and an individual that is older than 12 but younger than 16 in West Palm Beach. This statute also prohibits the encouraging, forcing, or enticing of any individual who is younger than 16 to engage in sadomasochistic abuse, have sexual relations with an animal, prostitution, or any other act that involves sexual activity. Sadomasochistic abuse covers sadism enjoying giving abuse or masochism enjoying receiving abuse.
These people enjoy tying themselves or others up, whipping, and torture. This crime is ranked as level 8 under the Florida Criminal Punishment Code. The crime becomes a first-degree felony if the person was above the age of 18, has been previously convicted of kidnapping a child below 13 or false imprisonment of a child younger than 13 , and during either one of those previous crimes the defendant was convicted for:. Anyone who is convicted of this crime will also be required to register as a sexual predator according to Florida Statute If you travel, there are national sexual predator laws that you must comply with.
If you have been charged with this serious crime, call our serious attorneys. Our West Palm Beach attorneys focus on criminal matters and want to hear your side of the story. Your case is important to us. Call today to schedule a 5 minute free consultation with one of our attorneys so we can take the facts you give us and craft a defense strategy for your case.
The strategy will be essential to negotiating with the prosecutor to drop the case, arguing to the judge to dismiss the case, or arguing to the jury to receive an acquittal in the case. Call today so we can get to work for you. Please do not include any confidential or sensitive information in a contact form, text message, or voicemail. The contact form sends information by non-encrypted email, which is not secure.
Submitting a contact form, sending a text message, making a phone call, or leaving a voicemail does not create an attorney-client relationship. Roger P. Foley Home. Contact Roger P. Click 'Contact Us' for Consultation Options Practice Areas. Sex Offenses. Lewd or Lascivious Conduct. Lewd or Lascivious Battery. Lewd or Lascivious Battery - Florida Statute Encouraging, Forcing, or Enticing What the State Prosecutor has to Prove to Convict the You of Lewd or Lascivious Battery by Encouraging, Forcing or Enticing The prosecutor must prove beyond a reasonable doubt: The victim was under the age of sixteen years; and You encouraged, forced, or enticed the victim to engage in sadomasochistic abuse, sexual bestiality, prostitution, or any act involving sexual activity.
