Maine Code § 17-A-260

Unlawful sexual touching
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1. Unlawful sexual touching. A person is guilty of unlawful sexual touching if the actor
intentionally subjects another person to any sexual touching and:
A. The other person has not consented to the sexual touching and the actor is criminally negligent
with regard to whether the other person has consented. Violation of this paragraph is a Class D
crime; [PL 2023, c. 280, §5 (AMD).]
B. The other person is unconscious or otherwise physically incapable of resisting and has not
consented to the sexual touching. Violation of this paragraph is a Class D crime; [PL 2003, c.
138, §5 (NEW).]
C. The other person, not the actor's spouse, is in fact less than 14 years of age and the actor is at
least 5 years older. Violation of this paragraph is a Class D crime; [PL 2003, c. 138, §5 (NEW).]
D. The other person suffers from a mental disability that is reasonably apparent or known to the
actor that in fact renders the other person substantially incapable of appraising the nature of the
touching involved or of understanding that the other person has the right to deny or withdraw
consent. Violation of this paragraph is a Class D crime; [PL 2003, c. 138, §5 (NEW).]
E. The other person, not the actor's spouse, is under official supervision as a probationer, a parolee,
a sex offender on supervised release, a prisoner on supervised community confinement status or a
juvenile on community reintegration status or is detained in a hospital, prison or other institution
and the actor has supervisory or disciplinary authority over the other person. Violation of this
paragraph is a Class D crime; [PL 2007, c. 102, §4 (AMD).]
F. The other person, not the actor's spouse, is a student enrolled in a private or public elementary,
secondary or special education school, facility or institution and the actor is a teacher, employee or
other official having instructional, supervisory or disciplinary authority over the student or the actor
was a substitute teacher who had instructional, supervisory or disciplinary authority over the
student at any time during the 12 months prior to the sexual touching. Violation of this paragraph
is a Class D crime; [PL 2021, c. 360, §5 (AMD).]
G. The other person is in fact less than 18 years of age and the actor is a parent, stepparent, foster
parent, guardian or other similar person responsible for the long-term general care and welfare of
that other person. Violation of this paragraph is a Class D crime; [PL 2003, c. 138, §5 (NEW).]
H. The other person submits as a result of compulsion. Violation of this paragraph is a Class D
crime; [PL 2003, c. 138, §5 (NEW).]
I. The actor owns, operates or is an employee of an organization, program or residence that is
operated, administered, licensed or funded by the Department of Health and Human Services and
the other person, not the actor's spouse, receives services from the organization, program or
residence and the organization, program or residence recognizes that other person as a person with
an intellectual disability or autism. It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under this paragraph
that the actor receives services for an intellectual disability or autism or is a person with an
intellectual disability, as defined in Title 34-B, section 5001, subsection 3, or autism, as defined in
Title 34-B, section 6002. Violation of this paragraph is a Class D crime; [PL 2011, c. 542, Pt.
A, §13 (AMD).]
J. The other person, not the actor's spouse, is in fact less than 18 years of age and is a student
enrolled in a private or public elementary, secondary or special education school, facility or

institution and the actor, who is at least 21 years of age, is a teacher, employee or other official in
the school district, school union, educational unit, school, facility or institution in which the student
is enrolled. Violation of this paragraph is a Class E crime; [PL 2011, c. 423, §7 (AMD).]
K. The actor is a psychiatrist, a psychologist or licensed as a social worker or counseling
professional or purports to be a psychiatrist, a psychologist or licensed as a social worker or
counseling professional to the other person and the other person, not the actor's spouse, is a current
patient or client of the actor. Violation of this paragraph is a Class D crime; [PL 2019, c. 494,
§4 (AMD).]
L. The actor owns, operates or is an employee of an organization, program or residence that is
operated, administered, licensed or funded by the Department of Health and Human Services and
the other person, not the actor's spouse, receives services from the organization, program or
residence and suffers from a mental disability that is reasonably apparent or known to the actor.
Violation of this paragraph is a Class D crime; or [PL 2011, c. 423, §9 (NEW).]
M. The actor is employed to provide care to a dependent person, who is not the actor's spouse or
domestic partner and who is unable to perform self-care because of advanced age or physical or
mental disease, disorder or defect. Violation of this paragraph is a Class D crime. [PL 2021, c.
567, §10 (AMD).]
[PL 2023, c. 280, §5 (AMD).]

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