A person generally commits the criminal offense of sexual assault of a child—regardless of whether the person knows the age of the child at the time of the offense—if the person (1) causes the penetration of the anus or sexual organ of a child by any means; (2) causes the penetration of the mouth of a child by the sexual organ of the person; (3) causes the sexual organ of the child to contact or penetrate the mouth, anus, or sexual organ of the person or another person; (4) causes the anus of a child to contact the mouth, anus, or sexual organ of the person or another person; or (5) causes the mouth of a child to contact the anus or sexual organ of the person or another person.

The naming and definition of the criminal offense of sexual assault of a child varies from state to state. These criminal offenses are generally located in a state’s statutes—often in the penal or criminal code.

In Connecticut, sexual assault of a child is a serious criminal offense and is addressed under various degrees of sexual assault in the state statutes. Specifically, Connecticut law defines sexual assault in several degrees, with first-degree sexual assault (also known as aggravated sexual assault) being the most serious. This includes engaging in sexual intercourse with someone under the age of 13 when the perpetrator is more than two years older than the victim, among other circumstances. The law does not require the perpetrator to know the age of the child for the act to be considered criminal. The statutes also cover other acts of sexual contact and penetration as described in the query, which can fall under different degrees of sexual assault depending on the specific circumstances, such as the age of the victim and the use of force or the threat of force. Convictions for sexual assault of a child can result in significant prison time, mandatory registration as a sex offender, and other severe legal consequences.