Sentencing sex crimes against children: an empirical and policy analysis

This study investigated factors that contributed to the sentencing outcomes of 387 sex crimes against children who were prosecuted in a large East Coast city. Hypothesized variables that were indexed to predict sentencing included several offense, victim, and perpetrator characteristics. The findings revealed that individual victims' experiences are generally less predictive of sentencing outcomes than perpetrators' characteristics, that sentences generally tend to be lenient, that intra-family and stranger abuse seem to be taken equally seriously, and that the criminal justice system does seem to incarcerate those society is most worried about-persistent predators who abuse several children. The article ends with suggestions for further research and policy development.