In December 2024, a volunteer involved with various youth and church groups in Ada County, Idaho, was arrested at his home. The volunteer faced multiple charges, including lewd or lascivious acts on a minor, injury to a child, aggravated assault, and the use of a deadly weapon during the commission of a felony.

Following his arrest, the accused informed detectives that there might have been additional illegal encounters with other minors, prompting investigators to seek further information from the public.

Subsequent investigations led to the discovery of more offenses. The man was charged with lewd conduct with a child and 16 counts of possessing child sexually exploitative material.

Source: https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/crime/new-child-sex-crime-charges-filed-against-a-star-man-who-worked-with-youth-idaho/277-9e31fe2e-a9b2-4cf0-b613-795a12e14ca4

Commentary

In the above matter, several charges were made against a former volunteer. The earlier set of charges included the crime of sexual battery against a minor.

Often sexual abuse is viewed as a crime of coercion, manipulation, breach of trust, and abuse of power. However, child sexual abuse can include violence, like sexual battery.

The crime of sexual battery against a child generally refers to sexual contact or touching of a minor's intimate parts, either directly or through clothing, and is treated as a serious felony offense in most U.S. states.

However, the specific legal definition and penalties vary by state. For example, in Georgia, sexual battery against a child under the age of 16 is classified as a felony, punishable by one to five years in prison upon conviction.

In general terms:

• Sexual battery involves intentional, nonconsensual touching of another person's intimate parts.
• When the victim is a child, the law often imposes harsher penalties, especially if the child is below a certain age threshold (commonly under 16 or 13, depending on the jurisdiction).

The above charges also included the commission of a deadly weapon to commit a felony.

The final takeaway is that child sexual exploitation is often explained as a crime of trust, but it also a crime of violence, including physical violence and intimidation. 

Additional Sources: https://law.justia.com/codes/georgia/2022/title-16/chapter-6/section-16-6-22-1/ ; https://www.criminaldefenselawyer.com/resources/what-difference-between-sexual-battery-and-rape.htm; and https://www.legalmatch.com/law-library/article/sexual-battery.html