This was based on the research conducted by Samantha Healey Vardaman, director of programs for Shared Hope International based on the reports of child sexual abuse cases from the Attorney General’s Office.
Sexual abuse of a minor in the second degree is when an offender commits the crime of sexual assault and engages in sexual contact with another person without that person’s consent; with a mentally incapable person who is entrusted to the offender’s care by law or in a facility/program, with a person who is unaware that a sexual act is being committed; if the offender is a health care worker and the abuse takes place during the course of a treatment.
Second in rank are cases of child abuse and neglect with 13 convictions, followed by child abuse with 11 convictions.
From 2000 to May 2008 the present, there were seven convictions for child neglect, four convictions for sexual abuse in the 3rd degree, sexual abuse of a minor child in the 1st degree, and oral copulation involving children.
Three convictions were reported for sexual abuse of a minor in the 4th degree, and one conviction each for attempted sexual abuse of a minor in the 2nd degree, kidnapping involving a child, and sodomy on a child.
For the same period, there were 15 open cases for sexual abuse of a minor in the 1st degree, nine cases of sexual abuse of a minor in the 2nd degree, one case of sexual abuse of a minor in the 3rd degree, two cases of sexual abuse of a minor in the 4th degree, 10 cases of child abuse, two cases of child neglect and one case of incest.
These open cases are either bench warranted, on appeal, off calendar or pending.
The research also showed that there were no cases of juveniles being charged with prostitution since 2000.
The CNMI child sexual assault and sexual abuse laws states that first degree sexual abuse of a minor is punishable by up to 25 years imprisonment and not more than $50,000 or both, while second degree sexual abuse of a minor is punishable up to 10 years imprisonment and up to 10,000 penalty.
Vardaman was on Saipan in May to conduct an assessment on domestic minor sex trafficking victims and their access to services in the CNMI.
