Contributing to the delinquency of a minor in North Carolina

Contributing to the delinquency of a minor is a crime in North Carolina, but what exactly does that mean? What activities does it cover? How serious of a crime is it?   We will answer all these questions for you, but if you are ever charged with this or any other crime it would be in your best interest to contact a criminal defense attorney.

Contributing to the delinquency of a minor, defined by North Carolina General Statute 14-316.1

• “Any person who is at least 16 years old who knowingly or willfully causes encourages, or aids any juvenile within the jurisdiction of the court to be in a place or condition, or to commit an act whereby the juvenile could be adjudicated delinquent, undisciplined, abused, or neglected, shall be guilty of contribution to the delinquency of a minor.”
• This crime is a classified as a Class 1 misdemeanor and if you convicted the defendant would be subject to the North Carolina misdemeanor sentencing guidelines.

Examples of activities what fall under this crime

• If a defendant encourages or entices a child to commit a crime for him, he would be guilty of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. An example of this would be the defendant paying a 15-year-old to break into someone’s home and steal something.
• If a defendant who is charged with taking care of a child (such as the child’s parent) knowingly leaves the child in a situation when there is known criminal activity and a known likelihood that the child will get involved in those crimes, he may be guilty of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

This crime, like all others, follows the burden of proof that the defendant is innocent until proven guilty. Because of this, simply being charged with this crime or any other is not the end of the road. Criminal defense lawyers are trained to handle these kinds of cases and get you the best result possible. If you have been charged with a crime you should contact a criminal defense attorney right away.