Local Man Accused of Groping Minor in Georgia

According to reports out of Gwinnett County, police are searching for a suspect who has been accused of inappropriately touching a young girl in a retail store in Sugarloaf Mills.

The victim reported that the man rubbed his crotch area against her as she was kneeling down to look at an item in the store. The man then allegedly asked how old she was and asked more personal questions. The man then left the store.

As a Georgia Sex Crimes Attorney, I will outline one of the potential crimes committed by the suspect in the story above - sexual battery.

Sexual Battery in Georgia

Sexual Battery in Georgia is defined by the Georgia Code in O.C.G.A. §16-6-22 as:

A person commits the offense of sexual battery when he or she intentionally makes physical contact with the intimate parts of the body of another person without the consent of that person.

By law, intimate body parts include the primary genital area, anus, groin, inner thighs, or buttocks of a male or female and the breasts of a female.

A person convicted of the offense of sexual battery shall be punished as for a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature. This means that if convicted of sexual battery, a person is facing up to 12 months in jail and fines up to $5,000.

Practice Note

Georgia Sex Crimes are handled very seriously by authorities. From accusation to arrest to court, most of the time, those who have been accused are deemed guilty from the start. Here at Lawson and Berry, we understand that just being accused or arrested for a crime does not mean that someone is guilty. Call us now if you or a loved one has been arrested.