Anyone accused of risk of injury to a minor or child endangerment in New Jersey can face significant fines, prison time, long periods of probation – and a permanent felony charge on their criminal record.
If you have been accused of risk of injury to a minor or child endangerment charges, contact a New Jersey child endangerment lawyer to review your situation.
A distinguished risk of injury attorney can help you determine what legal defenses might be available to you – so that you can make an informed decision about what makes the most sense for you.
Child Abuse Statutes in New JerseyAccording to NJ Rev Stat Sec. 9:6-8.9, child abuse, risk of injury to a minor, and child endangerment in New Jersey can be any type of action which causes substantial risk of injury, death, disfigurement, or which impairs a child’s physical or emotional health. This can include:
- Exploitation
- Sexual abuse
- Physical abuse
- Neglect by failing to supply adequate care or supervision
- Inappropriately placing a child into an institution
- Willful abandonment
- Willful isolation of social contact or emotional and social deprivation
Facing allegations of child abuse or child endangerment in New Jersey without the advice of an experienced New Jersey child endangerment lawyer can result in significant penalties and consequences that could have been mitigated.
Penalties for a Child Endangerment Offense
Endangering the welfare of a minor under N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4 can be classified as a first-, second-, third-, or fourth-degree felony, depending on the specific conduct and the relationship to the child.
- Fourth-degree typically applies to neglect or the possession/viewing of sexual images.
- If the person had a legal duty or assumed responsibility and engaged in sexual conduct or inflicted abuse/neglect, the offense would be at least a second-degree felony.
- When involving child pornography or sexual exploitation, the degree can escalate to first- or second-degree, based on the severity, number of images, or whether the act was recorded or distributed.
A New Jersey risk of injury to a minor attorney can review the charges against someone and determine whether there may be enough evidence to have the charges dismissed, mitigated through a plea bargain, or whether they may be eligible to participate in a diversionary program.
Diversionary Programs
Diversionary programs, also known as pretrial intervention programs (PTIs), may allow someone’s criminal case to be set aside. In essence, the person will be subject to a probationary period instead of facing a trial. Those who successfully complete the program may be able to have the charges against them dismissed altogether.
Contacting a New Jersey Child Endangerment AttorneyAnyone accused of risk of injury to a minor or child endangerment in New Jersey should not risk going to jail, paying costly fines, and having a criminal record which can affect finding a job, renting an apartment, or taking out student loans without contacting a New Jersey child endangerment lawyer first.
If you have been accused of risk of injury to a minor or are facing child endangerment charges, talk to a child endangerment lawyer to review your situation, discuss your legal defenses, and determine whether or not you might be eligible to participate in New Jersey’s diversionary program and have the charges against you dismissed.
Your future is too important to leave facing these charges to chance. Find out how a New Jersey risk of injury to a minor attorney can help.