State v. Mr. P (DMC No. 15827) – Juvenile Felony Sexual Assault/“Me Too” Allegation (Dangerous Crimes Against Children) 17-year-old alleged Sex Assault of 16-year-old, and Felony Sexual Conduct with a Minor (DCAC) – Not Charged/”Turned Down” by Pinal County Attorney’s Office Juvenile Division – Casa Grande PD Investigated (DR No. 0X-XXXXXXX5)  

Mr. P was a 16-year-old at Vista Grande High School in Pinal County, Arizona who began a flirtatious relationship with a 14-year-old at the same High School. Eventually, she was sending him nude pictures of herself, and invited him to come over and sneak into her window late at night. Mr. P. obliged, and then went to her house. They ended up engaging in consensual sex, in which he wore a condom and disposed of it outside of her bedroom window.

Sometime later, the girl got back together with her ex-boyfriend, and then began telling people that she was Sexually Assault by Mr. P. This occurred after the ex-boyfriend heard from the girl’s friends that she had sex with Mr. P. The girl’s mother was informed of these allegations, and then the Casa Grande Police Department got involved. Mr. P was pulled out of class to be questioned, and he invoked his Juvenile Miranda Rights, and then his parents came down to the school and did not let the Detectives question Mr. P. However, the Police already had a Search Warrant for a Buccal Swab in order to collect DNA from Mr. P. After this meeting, DM Cantor was hired to represent Mr. P. 

Once we got involved, we immediately secured all text messages between the two teenagers. In addition, we were able to speak with other people from the High School who had heard the young lady bragging about having sex with Mr. P. At no time prior to her ex-boyfriend finding out did she state that this was not consensual. We then contacted the Detective and explained that this was a consensual High School relationship, and that it could fall under the “Romeo and Juliet” Law, since they were within two years’ age of each other, and both attended High School. Because she was under 15 years of age, this Defense normally would not apply, however the Police and Prosecutors were reluctant to bring charges against a Sophomore in High School for having consensual sex with a Freshman in High School. Ultimately, we were able to convince the Pinal County Attorney’s Office to “Decline Filing Charges.”