Sexual Assault against a child is wrong and is a crime. Under Georgia law, a child under the age of 16 years old cannot give consent to have sexual acts performed to/on them. Further, the soliciting of sexual acts or favors from child is also illegal. Sexual Assault against a child can occur in a variety of ways:

ANY sexual act including fondling or other forms of touching, grabbing, etc.

Soliciting a child to perform or participate in any form of sexual act.

Further legal definitions of sexual assault against a child include:

Child Molestation - occurs when a person does any immoral or indecent act to or in the presence of or with any child under the age of 16 years with the intent to arouse or satisfy the sexual desires of either the child or the person (O.C.G.A. 16-6-4).

Aggravated Child Molestation - occurs when a person commits an offense of child molestation which act physically injures the child or involves an act of sodomy (sexual acts involving the sex organs of one person and the mouth or anus of another). (O.C.G.A. 16-6-4 and 16-6-2).

Enticing a Child for Indecent Purposes – occurs when a person entices a child for indecent purposes in that he or she solicits, entices, or takes any child under the age of 16 years to any place whatsoever for the purpose of child molestation or indecent acts.

There are programs in the Cobb County area that provide help to child victims of sexual assault. For more information, please refer to the following:

SafePath Children’s Advocacy Center, Inc. – fact sheet and general info brochure

To report a crime of child abuse, please call 911 and someone will assist you.

The Victim Witness Unit of the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office employs a staff person who works only with Crimes Against Children cases which will be prosecuted by that office. This advocate provides specialized services to child victims of crime and their non-offending family members. For more information about this service, please contact the Victim Witness Unit at 770/528-3047.