Delaware Code Title 11 Sec. 1105 – Crime against a vulnerable adult
(a) Any person who commits, or attempts to commit, any of the crimes or offenses set forth in subsection (f) of this section against a person who is a vulnerable adult is guilty of a crime against a vulnerable adult.
Attorney's Note
Under the Delaware Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Class G felony | up to 2 years | |
| Class A misdemeanor | up to 1 year | up to $2,300 |
| Class B misdemeanor | up to 6 months | up to $1,150 |
Terms Used In Delaware Code Title 11 Sec. 1105
- Abuse: means causing any physical injury to a child through unjustified force as defined in § 468(1)(c) of this title, torture, negligent treatment, sexual abuse, exploitation, maltreatment, mistreatment or any means other than accident. See Delaware Code Title 11 Sec. 1100
- Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
- Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
- Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
(b) A crime against a vulnerable adult shall be punished as follows:
(1) If the underlying offense is an unclassified misdemeanor, or a class B misdemeanor, the crime against a vulnerable adult shall be a class A misdemeanor;
(2) If the underlying offense is a class A misdemeanor, the crime against a vulnerable adult shall be a class G felony;
(3) If the underlying offense is a class D, E, F, or G felony, the crime against a vulnerable adult shall be 1 class higher than the underlying offense.
(c) “Vulnerable adult” means a person 18 years of age or older who, by reason of isolation, sickness, debilitation, mental illness or physical, mental or cognitive disability, is easily susceptible to abuse, neglect, mistreatment, intimidation, manipulation, coercion or exploitation. Without limitation, the term “vulnerable adult” includes any adult for whom a guardian or the person or property has been appointed.
(d) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, it is no defense to an offense or sentencing provision set forth in this section that the accused did not know that the victim was a vulnerable adult or that the accused reasonably believed the person was not a vulnerable adult unless the statute defining the underlying offense, or a related statute, expressly provides that knowledge that the victim is a vulnerable adult is a defense.
(e) No person shall be sentenced for both an underlying offense and a crime against a vulnerable adult. No person shall be sentenced for a violation of subsection (a) of this section if the underlying offense, as charged against the accused, has an element that the victim was 62 years of age or older or was an “adult who is impaired” as defined in § 3902 of Title 31.
(f) The following shall be underlying offenses for the purposes of this section:
| Title 11: | |
| § 601 | Offensive touching |
| § 602(a) | Menacing |
| § 602(b) | Aggravated Menacing |
| § 603 | Reckless endangering in the second degree |
| § 604 | Reckless endangering in the first degree |
| § 605 | Abuse of a pregnant female in the second degree |
| § 606 | Abuse of a pregnant female in the first degree |
| § 611 | Assault in the third degree |
| § 612 | Assault in the second degree |
| § 621 | Terroristic threatening |
| § 622 | Hoax device |
| § 625 | Unlawfully administering drugs |
| § 626 | Unlawfully administering controlled substance or counterfeit substance or narcotic drugs |
| § 645 | Promoting suicide |
| § 763 | Sexual harassment |
| § 764 | Indecent exposure in the second degree |
| § 766 | Incest |
| § 767 | Unlawful sexual contact in the third degree |
| § 769 | Unlawful sexual contact in the first degree |
| § 770 | Rape in the fourth degree |
| § 774 | Sexual extortion |
| § 780 | Female genital mutilation |
| § 781 | Unlawful imprisonment in the second degree |
| § 782 | Unlawful imprisonment in the first degree |
| § 783 | Kidnapping in the second degree |
| § 791 | Acts constituting coercion |
| § 811 | Criminal mischief |
| § 825 | Burglary in the second degree |
| § 831 | Robbery in the second degree |
| [Former] § 835 | Carjacking in the second degree |
| § 841 | Theft, except paragraph (c)(3)b. |
| § 841A | Theft of a motor vehicle |
| § 842 | Theft; lost or mislaid property |
| § 843 | Theft; false pretense |
| § 844 | Theft; false promise |
| § 846 | Extortion |
| § 848 | Misapplication of property |
| § 853 | Unauthorized use of a vehicle |
| § 854 | Identity theft |
| § 861 | Forgery |
| § 903 | Unlawful use of payment card |
| § 909 | Securing execution of documents by deception |
| § 914 | Use of consumer identification information |
| § 916 | Home improvement fraud |
| § 917 | New home construction fraud, except paragraph (d)(3) |
| § 1001 | Bigamy |
| § 1311 | Harassment |
| § 1312 | Stalking, except paragraphs (d)(1) and (d)(2) |
| § 1335 | Violation of privacy |
| § 1339 | Adulteration |
| § 1451 | Theft of a firearm |
| Title 6: | |
| § 73-604 | Securities fraud. |