Current through Session Law 2024-53
Section 14-27.33A - Sexual contact or penetration under pretext of medical treatment(a) Definitions. - The following definitions apply in this section: (1) Incapacitated. - A patient's incapability of appraising the nature of a medical treatment, either because the patient is unconscious or under the influence of an impairing substance, including, but not limited to, alcohol, anesthetics, controlled substances listed under Chapter 90 of the General Statutes, or any other drug or psychoactive substance capable of impairing a person's physical or mental faculties.(2) Medical treatment. - Includes an examination or a procedure.(3) Patient. - A person who has undergone or is seeking to undergo medical treatment.(4) Sexual contact. - The intentional touching of a person's intimate parts or the intentional touching of the clothing covering the immediate area of the person's intimate parts, if that intentional touching can reasonably be construed as being for the purpose of sexual arousal or gratification, done for a sexual purpose, or done in a sexual manner.(5) Sexual penetration. - Sexual intercourse, cunnilingus, fellatio, anal intercourse, or any other intrusion, however slight, of any part of a person's body or of any object into the genital or anal openings of another person's body, regardless of whether semen is emitted, if that intrusion can reasonably be construed as being for the purpose of sexual arousal or gratification, done for a sexual purpose, or done in a sexual manner.(b) Offense; Penalty. - Unless the conduct is covered under some other provision of law providing greater punishment, a person who undertakes medical treatment of a patient is guilty of a Class C felony if the person does any of the following in the course of that medical treatment:(1) Represents to the patient that sexual contact between the person and the patient is necessary or will be beneficial to the patient's health and induces the patient to engage in sexual contact with the person by means of the representation.(2) Represents to the patient that sexual penetration between the person and the patient is necessary or will be beneficial to the patient's health and induces the patient to engage in sexual penetration with the person by means of the representation.(3) Engages in sexual contact with the patient while the patient is incapacitated.(4) Engages in sexual penetration with the patient while the patient is incapacitated.(c) This section does not prohibit a person from being charged with, convicted of, or punished for any other violation of law that is committed by that person while violating this section.(d) The court may order a term of imprisonment imposed for a violation of this section to be served consecutively to a term of imprisonment imposed for any other crime, including any other violation of law arising out of the same transaction as the violation of this section.N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-27.33A
Added by 2019 N.C. Sess. Laws 191,s. 43-a, eff. 12/1/2019.