Two 15-year-olds were disciplined last week after they were caught engaging in sexual activity in a hallway at York Preparatory Academy in Rock Hill.
Although this might sound funny, or salacious and nothing more, there actually could have been very serious consequences. In our experience as criminal defense attorneys, we have seen quite a few young people who did not fully contemplate their actions, or did not grasp the gravity of potential consequences, to their great detriment. That is a frequent mistake and one we hope readers of this post do not make themselves.
Apparently, the two students were having consensual sex before classes began on Feb. 13. Two other students were in the area at the time, although it is not clear what they were doing there.
School officials said the two students were “disciplined according to school policy” but did not elaborate. From coverage we have read of this incident, it does not sound like the students are not in further trouble with the police or courts.
If that is the case, then they are lucky.
Performing activity like this in a public place can result in a citation that, in addition to a substantial fee, causes significant embarrassment and has social consequences, such as giving a future employer or social acquaintance pause. Furthermore, because both of these students were 15, their age raises questions about whether they had reached the age of consent.
The point we are trying to make is that many young people have a devil-may-care attitude towards things that are far too serious to treat in that manner. In any situation in which discipline or criminal charges are involved, it may be a good idea to have an attorney help you make sure you are being treated fairly and justly.
Source: The York Herald, “Police: Students caught having sex in hallway at York Prep,” Jonathan McFadden, Feb. 20, 2013
- For more information, you could visit our Sex Crimes page.
