There are extreme charges and consequences that exist in Maryland for people found guilty of committing carnal knowledge of a child. However before delving into these charges and their full consequences. It is important to establish what carnal knowledge is; simply put, it includes all acts of sexual nature ranging from intercourse to anal sex to oral and other sexual activities that can be conducted online and through social media forums.
Maryland takes child safety extremely seriously and its laws have been devised in a very strict manner in order to not only teach a lesson to the person who committed these crimes but also to those who have the intention to do so. In this day and age when technology is at its peak and everyday newer and faster ways of communication prop up, it is very easy for predators to have access to young and innocent minds without the knowledge of their parents and other caretakers. Due to this, these people are able to exploit and harm children in extremely detrimental ways.
In order to combat predators and to ensure the safety of children in Maryland, people who are found guilty of committing this form of child abuse face severe penalties. However, the decision of these penalties greatly relies upon the age difference between the two individuals as well as their relationship with each other.
A person who is 18 years or older of age, if convicted on charges of carnal knowledge face a class 4 felony which serves him or her an imprisonment sentence of up to 10 years as well as a fine up to 100,000 dollars. However if the accused party is also a minor i.e. below 18 years of age, their charges and penalty is reduced and they are tried in the juvenile court instead of the adult court and face a more lenient sentence. Their offence is instead, considered a class 6 felony where they face up to 5 years in jail and additionally in some cases they have to pay a 2500 dollar fine.
The third case in these situations is usually the simplest and most common where in both parties agree and claim they had consensual sex or sexual interactions and take full responsibility of their actions. In these cases if the age of the offender is also not 3 or more years older than the minor than the crime is considered a class 4 misdemeanor and no jail time is imposed however a small fine of up to 250 dollars is required to be paid.
In conclusion, although there are many factors and layers that determine the severity of punishments and crimes including age differences, relationships between the two individuals, their selves being minors or adults at the time of the crimes being committed etc. However, this does not mean that those found guilty of abuse are not punished. When found guilty of a felony or misdemeanor the defendant is required to serve sentenced jail times as well as pay hefty fines.