Morris County Endangering the Welfare of a Child Lawyer
Charged with Child Endangerment in Morristown, New Jersey
A child endangerment charge can ruin your life. If you are convicted of endangering the welfare of a child in New Jersey, you could be facing serious prison time. Worse yet, you could be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of your life. You need an experienced criminal defense attorney who can help you beat these serious charges.
The Tormey Law Firm represents clients who have been charged with sex crimes such as lewdness, criminal sexual contact, and failure to register as a sex offender. We have helped clients charged with sex offenses through New Jersey, including Denville, Parsippany, Madison, Roxbury, Rockaway, and Morristown.
Our criminal defense attorneys have successfully handled thousands of cases in New Jersey, in Superior Court and Municipal Court. Our managing partner, Travis J. Tormey, is often called upon as a legal authority in the area of sex crimes. He has been quoted by the Asbury Park Press regarding Megan’s Law registration and, most recently, in the Bergen Record as to his opinion on the rise in reported luring incidents in New Jersey. During his time at the United States Attorney’s Office, Mr. Tormey worked with the sex crimes unit on federal prosecutions. Moreover, Mr. Tormey was recently successful in having a wrongfully accused sex offender in Ocean County exonerated after more than a decade. Call the Tormey Law Firm 24 hours at 866-949-6948, or use our online contact form to schedule a free consultation.
Endangering the Welfare of a Child in New Jersey
The New Jersey statute which governs endangering the welfare of a child is N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4. The statute provides, in pertinent part:
§ 2C:24-4. Endangering the Welfare of a Child
Any person having a legal duty for the care of a child or who has assumed responsibility for the care of a child who engages in sexual conduct which would impair or debauch the morals of the child, or who causes the child harm that would make the child an abused or neglected child as defined in R.S. 9:6-1, R.S. 9:6-3 and P.L. 1974, c. 119, § 1 is guilty of a crime of the second degree. Any other person who engages in conduct or who causes harm as described in this subsection to a child under the age of 18 is guilty of a crime of the third degree.
Endangering the Welfare of a Child Penalties in New Jersey
Endangering the welfare of a child is a serious criminal offense in New Jersey. Depending on the circumstances, the charge will be graded as either a second degree crime or a third degree crime. This is a crucial distinction because of the penalties involved and the likelihood of probationary treatment versus a state prison sentence. For a second degree crime, there is a presumption of incarceration even if the defendant has no prior criminal history. The prison range is five (5) to 10 years. By contrast, for a third degree offense, there is a presumption of non-incarceration for those individuals with no prior criminal record, and the state prison range is three (3) to five (5) years. Thus, on a third degree offense, probation is a potential and even likely outcome. Moreover, both second degree and third degree endangering charges can lead to Megan’s Law registration and/or community supervision for life.
DCP&P/DYFS Investigations and Complaints vs. Criminal Charges
Many times in these cases, the Division of Child Protection and Permanency (known as DCP&P) will investigate allegations of child abuse or neglect in addition to any criminal charges filed by a police department or county prosecutor’s office. These are 2 totally different cases handled in different courts by different judges. The DCP&P case is handled in the family division by a family judge while the criminal charges are handled in the criminal division by a criminal judge.
Contact a Mount Olive Endangering the Welfare of a Child Lawyer Today
Endangering the welfare of a child penalties in New Jersey can be severe. As a result, it is imperative that you have an experienced sex crimes defense attorney to combat these charges. Do not hesitate to contact the Tormey Law Firm today at 866-949-6948. You can also use the online contact form to schedule an appointment.