What Do I Do If I Was Wrongly Accused of Date Rape?
Date rape is a problem on many college campuses throughout Pennsylvania and the United States. It is a crime that must and should be aggressively prosecuted and punished. No one should be forced to have sexual relations or have sexual encounters when they are impaired by drugs or alcohol.
With that said, you can be falsely accused of date rape. A person becomes angry at another person for ending a relationship or refusing romantic advances claims to be sexually assaulted as revenge. In some cases, a person could be sexually assaulted but name the wrong person because the victim was impaired by drugs or alcohol at the time of the assault.
Whatever the reason for the false accusation, it is crucial that the person accused seek immediate legal advice from an experienced Edinboro criminal defense attorney.
Criminal Charges for Date Rape in Pennsylvania
If you are accused of date rape, you can be charged with one or more criminal offenses. Common charges related to date rape include:
- Indecent Assault — Indecent assault is defined as having indecent contact with another person or causing that person to have indecent contact with you for the purpose of sexual arousal without the person’s consent. This charge also covers forcing a victim to be in contact with semen, urine, or feces for the purpose of sexual arousal. Using force or using drugs or alcohol to impair the victim prevents the person from giving consent for the contact.
- Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse — This criminal offense covers penetration of the anus or genitals with a foreign object or through intercourse without the consent of the other person. Using force, drugs, or alcohol negates the victim’s ability to consent to this encounter. It is a first-degree felony.
- Rape — Rape is also a first-degree felony when you have sexual intercourse with another person by using threats or force. It also covers intercourse with a person who cannot provide consent because you impaired the person with alcohol or drugs, the person is unconscious, or the person has a mental disability.
The penalties for a conviction on a sexual assault charge can be severe. In addition to serving prison time, you could be required to register as a sexual offender. Even if you are found innocent of the sexual assault charges, you could be expelled from college. You may find it difficult to move forward with the college education and your career with an allegation of sexual assault in your past.
You need an experienced Pennsylvania criminal defense attorney to help you aggressively fight these charges to mitigate the damage the charges can have on your future.
What Should You Do?
Call our office immediately to speak with our Edinboro criminal defense attorney. You need to be proactive in building a defense to these charges. Stay away from the victim and do not attempt to speak with him or her. Keep all physical evidence such as your clothing, text messages, written notes, or social media posts that could be used as evidence.
Before you provide statements to the college officials or law enforcement officers, exercise your right to remain silent except for asking for your lawyer. Trying to “clear yourself” by cooperating can often make matters much worse.
Contact The Travis Law Firm toll-free at (800) 401-2066 to schedule a free legal consultation with one of our Edinboro criminal defense attorneys.