What Are the Penalties for First-Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct in Michigan?

First-degree criminal sexual conduct is one of the most serious offenses a person can commit in Michigan, and a conviction yields substantial legal repercussions. To learn more about this offense and its associated penalties, contact a Marquette criminal sexual conduct lawyer today.

What is Criminal Sexual Conduct?

Criminal sexual conduct is the unlawful sexual assault, touching, or penetration of another person. There are several variations of this crime in Michigan, but criminal sexual conduct in the first degree is the most serious form. This offense is defined under MCL Section 750.520, which describes this crime as the following.

A person is guilty of criminal sexual conduct in the first degree if they engage in sexual penetration with another person under any of the following circumstances.

• The other person is under 13 years of age
• The other person is at least 13 but less than 16 years of age and is a member of the same household, is related to the offender by blood, the offender has authority over the victim, the offender is a teacher or school administrator, etc.
• Sexual penetration occurs involving the commission of any other felony offense
• The offender is aided or abetted by 1 or more other persons and knows or has reason to know that the victim is mentally incapable, mentally incapacitated, or physically helpless
• The offender uses force or coercion to accomplish sexual penetration
• The offender is armed with a weapon or object fashioned in a way to lead the victim to believe it is a weapon
• The offender causes personal injury to the victim and force or coercion is used to accomplish sexual penetration

The definition goes on to include more specific circumstances and situations that are considered first-degree sexual conduct. The full definition can be found on the Michigan legislature website.

What Are the Penalties for First-Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct in Michigan?

First-degree criminal sexual conduct (CSC-1) is the most serious form of sexual misconduct under Michigan law. This felony offense will yield significant consequences and penalties for those convicted to align with the egregious and severe nature of the offense.

Penalties generally associated with first-degree criminal sexual conduct include the following.

• Imprisonment for life or any term of years
• Lifetime electronic monitoring
• For violations committed by an individual 17 years or older against an individual less than 13 years old, a minimum penalty of 25 years of imprisonment
• For violations committed by an individual 18 years or older against an individual less than 13 years old, imprisonment for life without the possibility of parole

In addition to these standard sentencing guidelines, convicted offenders can also incur additional penalties, including substantial fines, victim restitution, registration on the sex offender list, and more.

If you have questions regarding the definition of or penalties related to criminal sexual conduct, reach out to an experienced criminal defense attorney at Berger Law today.