What Are The Implications of Indictment

Many states require that any individual who suspects that a child is suffering from abuse or neglect report the suspected abuse to the appropriate authorities. Once a child abuse accusation has been made, a Child Protective Services employee will determine whether or not there is adequate information to launch an investigation.

If the child protective services agency determines that a child abuse investigation should occur, then investigators will conduct interviews with individuals who have come into contact with the child, including the child's parents, teachers, and doctors. Children who are suspected to be in imminent danger will be removed from their current environment and placed into a new one until the investigation is complete.

An investigator will be responsible for determining whether or not the child abuse accusation has occurred, and whether or not the child is in danger of suffering from abuse in the future. If the investigators find that the child abuse accusation was founded in truth, then the Child Protective Services agency will be responsible for determining the likelihood of the abuse reoccurring in the future. If they find that the child has low risk from suffering from abuse, then the child will be returned to the care of his/her parents. If the investigation finds that a child is at high risk or if a child is severely injured due to the abuse, then the matter may be turned over to a criminal court, where the individual who faced the child abuse accusation will be put on trial for their crimes.

An individual who has faced a child abuse accusation and has been charged with child abuse may experience a great deal of negative consequences due to their actions. Primarily, an individual who has been charged with child abuse may face extensive punishment, including long term jail sentences and hefty fines.

The severity of the punishment will be dependent on the State in which an individual resides and may take into consideration the severity of the abuse, as well as the age of the child who was the victim of the abuse. In some states, the punishment for an individual who is charged with child abuse may be up to thirty years in prison, or a $1,000 fine. In many cases, an individual who has been charged with child abuse will be required to attend therapy or other forms of treatment programs.

If an individual is responsible for subjecting a child to severe physical abuse, or sexual abuse, then the individual’s name will be placed on the State child maltreatment registry. These registries are commonly used during background investigations. Because of this, an individual who has been charged with child abuse may never receive a job in which they come into contact with children.

Individuals who are responsible for exposing a child to child abuse may not be able to be trusted around children. They are not committed to protecting the health and the well-being of children. Therefore, an individual who has been charged with child abuse will not be hired for employment as a teacher or a day care worker. A child abuse accusation can stay on someone’s record for up to seven years and will have an extremely negative impact on their future.

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