Commonwealth v. Kerrigan

Daniel Kerrigan sexually abused A.R., the 7-year-old daughter of his live-in girlfriend, for 3 years.  The abuse was discovered when A.R. was diagnosed with genital warts when she was 10 years old.  The court held that the transmission of HPV and genital warts satisfies the serious bodily injury requirement of the crimes of Rape of Child (Serious Bodily Injury) and Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse with a Child (Serious Bodily Injury) because HPV is a permanent disease, can lead to cervical cancer, and may be transmitted to A.R.’s future sexual partners or children.

Topics

• Sexual violence and rape
• Statutory rape or defilement

Geographical location

• North America
• United States
• Pennsylvania

Keywords

• sexual violence and rape
• defilement or statutory rape
• united states
• 2007
• pennsylvania
• statutory rape or defilement

Year

• 2007

External URL

• Commonwealth v. Kerrigan

Court

• Superior Court of Pennsylvania

Type

• Domestic Case Law

Jurisdiction

• Pennsylvania