CHAPTER 450
H.P. 867 - L.D. 1249
An Act To Amend the Crimes of Unlawful Sexual Contact and Unlawful Sexual Touching
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 17-A MRSA §255-A, sub-§1, ¶¶S and T, as enacted by PL 2001, c. 383, §23 and affected by §156, are amended to read:
S. The other person, not the actor's spouse, is in fact less than 18 years of age and is a student enrolled in a private or public elementary, secondary or special education school, facility or institution and the actor, who is at least 21 years of age, is a teacher, employee or other official in the school district, school union, educational unit, school, facility or institution in which the student is enrolled. Violation of this paragraph is a Class E crime; or
T. The other person, not the actor's spouse, is in fact less than 18 years of age and is a student enrolled in a private or public elementary, secondary or special education school, facility or institution and the actor, who is at least 21 years of age, is a teacher, employee or other official in the school district, school union, educational unit, school, facility or institution in which the student is enrolled and the sexual contact includes penetration. Violation of this paragraph is a Class D crime.;
Sec. 2. 17-A MRSA §255-A, sub-§1, ¶¶U and V are enacted to read:
U. The actor is a psychiatrist, a psychologist or licensed as a social worker or purports to be a psychiatrist, a psychologist or licensed as a social worker to the other person and the other person, not the actor's spouse, is a patient or client of the actor for mental health therapy. As used in this paragraph, "mental health therapy" means psychotherapy or other treatment modalities intended to change behavior, emotions or attitudes and based upon an intimate relationship involving trust and dependency with a substantial potential for vulnerability and abuse. Violation of this paragraph is a Class D crime; or
V. The actor is a psychiatrist, a psychologist or licensed as a social worker or purports to be a psychiatrist, a psychologist or licensed as a social worker to the other person and the other person, not the actor's spouse, is a patient or client of the actor for mental health therapy and the sexual contact includes penetration. As used in this paragraph, "mental health therapy" means psychotherapy or other treatment modalities intended to change behavior, emotions or attitudes and based upon an intimate relationship involving trust and dependency with a substantial potential for vulnerability and abuse. Violation of this paragraph is a Class C crime.
Sec. 3. 17-A MRSA §260, sub-§1, ¶I, as corrected by RR 2003, c. 2, §27, is amended to read:
I. The actor owns, operates or is an employee of an organization, program or residence that is operated, administered, licensed or funded by the Department of Health and Human Services and the other person, not the actor's spouse, receives services from the organization, program or residence and the organization, program or residence recognizes that other person as a person with mental retardation. It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under this paragraph that the actor receives services for mental retardation or is a person with mental retardation as defined in Title 34-B, section 5001, subsection 3. Violation of this paragraph is a Class D crime; or
Sec. 4. 17-A MRSA §260, sub-§1, ¶J, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 138, §5, is amended to read:
J. The other person, not the actor's spouse, is in fact less than 18 years of age and is a student enrolled in a private or public elementary, secondary or special education school, facility or institution and the actor, who is at least 21 years of age, is a teacher, employee or other official in the school district, school union, educational unit, school, facility or institution in which the student is enrolled. Violation of this paragraph is a Class E crime.; or
Sec. 5. 17-A MRSA §260, sub-§1, ¶K is enacted to read:
K. The actor is a psychiatrist, a psychologist or licensed as a social worker or purports to be a psychiatrist, a psychologist or licensed as a social worker to the other person and the other person, not the actor's spouse, is a patient or client of the actor for mental health therapy. As used in this paragraph, "mental health therapy" means psychotherapy or other treatment modalities intended to change behavior, emotions or attitudes and based upon an intimate relationship involving trust and dependency with a substantial potential for vulnerability and abuse. Violation of this paragraph is a Class D crime.
Effective September 17, 2005.
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