LegalFix

§ 43-47-18. Sexual battery or fondling of vulnerable person by health care employees or persons in position of trust or authority; penalties

MS Code § 43-47-18 (2019) (N/A)
Copy with citation
Copy as parenthetical citation

(1)

(a) A person who engages in sexual penetration with a vulnerable person is guilty of sexual battery if the person is a volunteer at, or an employee of, or contracted to work for, a health care facility in which the vulnerable person is a patient or resident.

(b) A person who engages in sexual penetration with a vulnerable person is guilty of sexual battery if the person is in a position of trust or authority over the vulnerable person, including, without limitation, the vulnerable person’s teacher, counselor, physician, psychiatrist, psychologist, nurse, certified nursing assistant, direct care worker, technical assistant, minister, priest, physical therapist, chiropractor, legal guardian, parent, stepparent, other relative, caretaker or conservator.

(c) Every person who is convicted of sexual battery under this subsection (1) shall be imprisoned in the custody of the State Department of Corrections for a period of not more than thirty (30) years, and for a second or subsequent such offense shall be imprisoned in the custody of the State Department of Corrections for a period of not more than forty (40) years.

(2)

(a) Any person who, for the purpose of gratifying the person’s lust, or indulging the person’s depraved licentious sexual desires, shall handle, touch or rub with hands or any part of the person’s body or any member thereof, any vulnerable person, with or without the vulnerable person’s consent, when the person is a volunteer at, or an employee of, or contracted to work for, a health care facility in which the vulnerable person is a patient or resident, shall be guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined in a sum not less than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) nor more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), or be committed to the custody of the Department of Corrections not less than two (2) nor more than fifteen (15) years, or be punished by both fine and imprisonment, at the discretion of the court.

(b) Any person who, for the purpose of gratifying the person’s lust, or indulging the person’s depraved licentious sexual desires, shall handle, touch or rub with hands or any part of the person’s body or any member thereof, any vulnerable person, with or without the vulnerable person’s consent, when the person occupies a position of trust or authority over the vulnerable person, shall be guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined in a sum not less than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) nor more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), or be committed to the custody of the Department of Corrections not less than two (2) nor more than fifteen (15) years, or be punished by both fine and imprisonment, at the discretion of the court. A person in a position of trust or authority over a vulnerable person includes, without limitation, the vulnerable person’s teacher, counselor, physician, psychiatrist, psychologist, nurse, certified nursing assistant, direct care worker, technical assistant, minister, priest, physical therapist, chiropractor, legal guardian, parent, stepparent, other relative, caretaker or conservator.

(3) A person is not guilty of any offense under this section if the alleged victim is that person’s legal spouse; however, the legal spouse of the alleged victim may be found guilty of sexual battery if the legal spouse engaged in forcible sexual penetration without the consent of the alleged victim.

LegalFix

Copyright ©2024 LegalFix. All rights reserved. LegalFix is not a law firm, is not licensed to practice law, and does not provide legal advice, services, or representation. The information on this website is an overview of the legal plans you can purchase—or that may be provided by your employer as an employee benefit or by your credit union or other membership group as a membership benefit.

LegalFix provides its members with easy access to affordable legal services through a network of independent law firms. LegalFix, its corporate entity, and its officers, directors, employees, agents, and contractors do not provide legal advice, services, or representation—directly or indirectly.

The articles and information on the site are not legal advice and should not be relied upon—they are for information purposes only. You should become a LegalFix member to get legal services from one of our network law firms.

You should not disclose confidential or potentially incriminating information to LegalFix—you should only communicate such information to your network law firm.

The benefits and legal services described in the LegalFix legal plans are not always available in all states or with all plans. See the legal plan Benefit Overview and the more comprehensive legal plan contract during checkout for coverage details in your state.

Use of this website, the purchase of legal plans, and access to the LegalFix networks of law firms are subject to the LegalFix Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

We have updated our Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Disclosures. By continuing to browse this site, you agree to our Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Disclosures.
§ 43-47-18. Sexual battery or fondling of vulnerable person by health care employees or persons in position of trust or authority; penalties