Full question:
My 12-year-old child was raped by a man in the neighborhood. He is being harbored by his girlfriend who is aware of the heinous crime he did. Does the courts in Rhode Island take action against people who harbor such criminals?
- Category: Criminal
- Subcategory: Statutory Rape
- Date:
- State: Rhode Island
Answer:
Yes. The criminal statute does indeed provide for action against people who harbor people who may be charged with statutory rape in the first degree.R.I. Gen. Laws§ 11-37-8.2.1 enumerates the punishment for people who harbor such people. It reads:“***
(d) Harboring.
(1) Any person who has reason to know that a person convicted of first degree child molestation as defined by § 11-37-8.1 or 11-37-8.2.1 is not complying or has not complied with the requirements of this section where applicable and who with the intent to assist the child molester in eluding a law enforcement agency that is seeking to find the child molester to question the child molester about or to arrest the child molester for his or her non-compliance with the requirements of this section and who:
(i) knowingly withholds information from or willfully fails to notify the law enforcement agency about the child molester's non-compliance with the requirements of this section; or
(ii) harbors or attempts to harbor or assists another person in harboring or attempting to harbor the child molester; or
(iii) knowingly conceals or attempts to conceal or assists another person in concealing or attempting to conceal the child molester; or
(iv) provides information to the law enforcement agency regarding the child molester that the person knows to be false information commits a felony and shall be subject to imprisonment for a period of five (5) years. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as limiting the discretion of the judges to impose additional sanctions authorized in sentencing.
(2) Any person who permits a child predator as defined by this section to reside with them knowing that the child predator has failed to comply with the requirements of subsection 11-37-8.2.1(b) commits a felony punishable by up to five (5) years imprisonment and/or a five thousand dollar ($ 5,000) fine.
***”
In the given instance, the girlfriend of the child molester may be punished per the above-quoted provision and may be punished with five years’ imprisonment and/or a five thousand dollars fine for letting him reside with her in her house.
This content is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Legal statutes mentioned reflect the law at the time the content was written and may no longer be current. Always verify the latest version of the law before relying on it.
