If you have been charged with failure to report child abuse then you may have a defense. Lack of knowledge and lack of reasonable suspicion are both defenses that are oftentimes successful when fighting a failure to report a child abuse case. Even if you don’t think you have a defense, you should always speak to an attorney to make sure you have a full understanding of how the law applies specifically to your case. If you want to know more about the lack of reasonable suspicion defense, or if you want to speak to a lawyer about how to beat your failure to report child abuse case in Florida, contact Matthew Williams now for a free consultation.
Failure to report child abuse in Florida is defined under Florida Statute 39.205. A person commits the crime of failure to report child abuse when they are a mandatory reporter and they knowingly and willfully fail to report known or suspected acts of child abuse, abandonment, or neglect to the Florida Abuse Hotline.
Under Florida Statute 827.03(3)(a), a mandatory reporter in Florida is defined as ANY PERSON who knows or suspects child abuse occurred.
Failure to report child abuse is a third-degree felony, meaning you can be sentenced to up to 5 years in prison, or up to 5 years on probation and up to $5,000 in fines (you can also be sentenced to a jail or prison sentence followed by probation but the total length of the sentence cannot exceed 5 years).
Criminal convictions, especially for crimes with child victims, carry severe consequences and can never be removed from your criminal record. If you are convicted of a felony you will lose your right to vote, your right to own firearms, and your ability to maintain certain business licenses. You can also lose your ability to receive financial aid, your ability to live in certain places and your ability to obtain a passport.
If you need an attorney who will advise you, fight for your rights, and do everything possible to protect your future, or if someone you know has been charged with failure to report child abuse in Florida then contact Matthew Williams now for a free consultation.