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Kidnapping Charges

What You Need to Know About Kidnapping Charges

What You Need to Know About Kidnapping Charges

Most kidnappings that are committed are considered serious enough to try file under first degree kidnapping charges. Kidnapping cases involving children are considered to be even more serious. Although cases involving adults and children legally have to be tried the same in court, the social consequences of a kidnapping charge involving a child could ruin an individual’s life, even with no conviction.
A person can be convicted of a first or second degree kidnapping charge. Many kidnapping charges are commensurate on the type of kidnapping. Kidnapping cases involving children usually have similar motives. Parental kidnappings are very common. Stranger kidnappings, committed by someone who the child has never seen, are just as serious. Usually, the reasons for these kidnappings are considered to be sinister. Those convicted of a sexual offense will have to register as sex offenders.
Some people are wrongly accused of kidnapping. There have been many kidnapping cases that have been considered to be unfairly tried. The individuals that are charged are usually judged very harshly. Whether or not they are found to have committed the crime of kidnapping, they may face undesirable social consequences for the rest of their lives.
Clearing one’s name is no easy task. Kidnapping cases also gain notoriety and will likely be covered extensively by news programs, leaving people to make up their minds before the trial is over.

Kidnapping Charges Overarching At A Glance

Kidnapping Charges Overarching At A GlanceEven without a conviction, a charge of kidnapping has the power to destroy a person’s life. While there are other criminal charges that can ostracize a person, the charge of kidnapping carries a stigma that is matched by few others. It is common for a community to make up its mind about the person’s guilt before the trial even begins. Kidnapping charge may often be accompanied with other charges such as sexual abuse. 

Understanding The Different Types of Kidnapping Charges

Understanding The Different Types of Kidnapping Charges

There are many different types of kidnapping charges. A person can be charged with kidnapping if they are accused of physically moving another individual without consent. In the case of child abduction, even attempted child abduction, there may be more circumstances that constitute the kidnapping of a child. A child can be kidnapped by a family member or stranger.
The kidnapping law in the United States was generally based on England’s Common Law and was defined as illegal and non-consensual moving of an individual between countries. The law was renovated in the 19th and 20th centuries when the definition of kidnapping was redefined by removing the location requirements. 
While any kidnapping charge is a serious one, kidnapping a child brings very dire social and legal issues. Kidnapping law requires that any kidnapping conviction be severely punished, mainly because of the impact on the victim and their family. It is also common for someone convicted of child abduction or attempted child abduction to be convicted for other things as well, such as sexual or physical crimes.
First degree kidnapping is the most serious offense under kidnapping law. States usually consider a kidnapping to fall under this category depending on what the purpose of the kidnapping was, as well as the length of time the person was held.
Anything involving financial extortion such as ransom, sexual or physical assault and death will result in a charge of first degree kidnapping. Second degree kidnapping is generally defined under kidnapping law as the kidnapping itself, without the intentions or acts of any of the criminal acts in first degree kidnapping. Both are felonies.
Attempted child abduction is a very serious crime and one that is treated of the highest importance by police officials. Anyone charged with attempted child abduction, due to the nature of the possible crimes that could have been committed, can be convicted of felony attempted child abduction charges.