WEST VIRGINIA
The Intelligencer
June 11, 2012
By BETSY BETHEL Associate Life Editor , The Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register
As the man accused of perpetrating sexual crimes against children at Penn State University prepares to face a jury this week, legislation enacted by West Virginia lawmakers following that scandal are now in effect.
But what does the new law – which was implemented Friday – mean exactly for West Virginia residents?
For anyone 18 or over, the bill requires that if you receive a “credible disclosure” or “observe any sexual abuse of a child,” you must report it to law enforcement or to Child Protective Services, a division of the W.Va. Department of Health and Human Resources, for further investigation. If you don’t do so within 48 hours, you could be found guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to up to 30 days in jail and up to $1,000 fine.
For example, if a child tells a neighbor he or she has been sexually abused, that neighbor is required by law to call the police or CPS within two days. The neighbor is also encouraged to report a suspicion of abuse.
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