On Tuesday, August 29, 2018, in the Indian River County, Florida area, a teen from Gifford was arrested. According to the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office, the young man was taken into custody after being charged with engaging in sexual contact with a girl who was only 15 years old.  Based on the seriousness of these charges the man will require an Indian River County Criminal Defense Attorney.

The young man, who is 18 years of age, resides at the 4200 block of 20th Avenue. He was formally charged by police with lewd and lascivious molestation. According to the young girl, the older teen visited her home in January 2018 and ended up giving her alcohol. According to the arrest affidavit, he subsequently forced her to have sex with him.

Also according to the affidavit, the young girl reported that she and the 18-year-old had what she said was consensual sex multiple times throughout the year.

In the state of Florida, 18 is the official age of consent. As a result, people who are 17 years old or younger are not legally capable of consenting to sexual activity. Sexual activity with a minor who is 17 or younger may mean prosecution as it is considered statutory rape. In some instances, there may be a situation of “close in age exemption” in Florida, which means that minors who are 16 or 17 are legally able to have sexual intercourse with a person who is no older than 23 years of age. This information was gathered from ageofconsent.net, which is a public legal resource that provides information on age of consent throughout the United States and other countries.

The young man denied forcing the 15-year-old girl to have sex with him. He also told the police that he was planning on waiting until she turned 16 but pointed out that he was intoxicated at the time of the incident.

The 18-year-old was held at the Indian River County Jail but posted a $5,000 bail the day after his arrest. He was subsequently released as a result.

Being charged with rape or any type of sexual assault crime is a very serious situation that warrants the assistance of a skilled attorney. If you have been charged with these crimes in Florida, you should immediately speak with an Indian River County criminal defense attorney. The Law Office of Jeffrey H. Garland, P.A. can help you and connect you with an experienced Indian River County criminal defense attorney who can represent you to the best of their ability in your case. Contact the law office at your earliest convenience at 772.489.2200.