Bill > A2790

Introduced Session

This bill imposes severe penalties on sex offenders who prey on children. The bill imposes a penalty of 30 years to life imprisonment for the following crimes of aggravated sexual assault: ? an act of sexual penetration under N.J.S.2C:14-2a.(1) if the victim is less than 13 years old; ? an act of sexual penetration under N.J.S.2C:14-2a.(2) if the victim is at least 13 but less than 16, and defendant is either related to the victim by blood or affinity to the third degree, has supervisory or disciplinary power over the victim, or is a foster parent or guardian or stands in loco parentis in the household; ? an act of sexual penetration under N.J.S.2C:14-2a.(7), committed when the victim is one whom the defendant knew or should have known was physically helpless or mentally incapacitated, if the victim is less than 16. The bill imposes a penalty of 25 years to life imprisonment for the following crimes of aggravated sexual assault: ? an act of sexual penetration under N.J.S.2C:14-2a.(3), committed during the commission of certain other crimes, if the victim is less than 16; ? an act of sexual penetration under N.J.S.2C:14-2a.(4), committed when defendant is armed with weapon and threatens to use it, if the victim is less than 16; ? an act of sexual penetration under N.J.S.2C:14-2a.(5), committed when defendant is aided or abetted by another person and uses physical force or coercion, if the victim is less than 16; ? an act of sexual penetration under N.J.S.2C:14-2a.(6), committed when the defendant uses physical force or coercion and the victim sustains severe personal injury, if the victim is less than 16. In addition, the bill imposes a penalty of 25 years to life imprisonment for an act of sexual penetration under N.J.S.2C:14-2b.(1) committed with physical force or coercion, but where the victim does not sustain severe personal injury, if the victim is less than 16 years old. The bill imposes a penalty of 30 years to life imprisonment for an act of sexual penetration under N.J.S.2C:14-2b.(2) if the victim is on probation or parole or detained in a hospital, prison or other institution, and the defendant has supervisory or disciplinary power over the victim, if the victim is less than 16 years old. The bill also revises the murder statute to require life imprisonment of persons who murder children under the age of 16 in the course of commission of a sex offense, if those defendants are not otherwise sentenced to death, and to make the murder of a child under the age of 16 an aggravating factor in sentencing. Current law specifies age 14 for both of these provisions. Finally, the bill increases from 30 years to 35 years the minimum term which a person convicted of murder who is not sentenced to death is required to serve in prison before eligibility for parole.

AI Summary

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Brian Rumpf (R)*, 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Judiciary Committee (on 01/13/2026)

Official Document