State of Washington | 63rd Legislature | 2014 Regular Session |
READ FIRST TIME 02/11/14.
AN ACT Relating to indecent liberties by a member of the clergy; amending RCW 9A.44.100; and prescribing penalties.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1 RCW 9A.44.100 and 2013 c 94 s 2 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) A person is guilty of indecent liberties when he or she
knowingly causes another person to have sexual contact with him or her
or another:
(a) By forcible compulsion;
(b) When the other person is incapable of consent by reason of
being mentally defective, mentally incapacitated, or physically
helpless;
(c) When the victim is a person with a developmental disability and
the perpetrator is a person who is not married to the victim and who:
(i) Has supervisory authority over the victim; or
(ii) Was providing transportation, within the course of his or her
employment, to the victim at the time of the offense;
(d) When the perpetrator is a health care provider, the victim is
a client or patient, and the sexual contact occurs during a treatment
session, consultation, interview, or examination. It is an affirmative
defense that the defendant must prove by a preponderance of the
evidence that the client or patient consented to the sexual contact
with the knowledge that the sexual contact was not for the purpose of
treatment;
(e) When the perpetrator is a member of the clergy as defined in
RCW 26.44.020 and is in a position of trust or authority over the
victim, the clergy uses the position of trust or authority to engage in
sexual contact with the victim by exploiting the victim's emotional
dependency on the clergy in the clergy's professional position as a
religious or spiritual advisor, the victim is an employee, member,
guest, visitor, or volunteer of the perpetrator's congregation or
organization and is seeking religious or spiritual advice, counseling,
aid, comfort, assistance, or guidance in a private session with the
clergy, and the sexual contact occurs during such a session or during
the time such sessions are occurring. It is an affirmative defense
that the defendant must prove by a preponderance of the evidence that
the victim consented to the sexual contact with the knowledge that the
sexual contact was not for the purpose of religious or spiritual
counseling, aid, comfort, assistance, or guidance;
(f) When the victim is a resident of a facility for persons with a
mental disorder or chemical dependency and the perpetrator is a person
who is not married to the victim and has supervisory authority over the
victim; or
(((f))) (g) When the victim is a frail elder or vulnerable adult
and the perpetrator is a person who is not married to the victim and
who:
(i) Has a significant relationship with the victim; or
(ii) Was providing transportation, within the course of his or her
employment, to the victim at the time of the offense.
(2)(a) Except as provided in (b) of this subsection, indecent
liberties is a class B felony.
(b) Indecent liberties by forcible compulsion is a class A felony.