Opinion ID: 1060568
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: Age as a material element

Text: We first consider whether the statutory provision regarding a victim six years of age or less is a material element of the offense of aggravated child abuse. Both the offense of child abuse and of aggravated child abuse address injuries to and neglect of victims under the age of eighteen. Additionally, both offenses increase the culpability and punishment if the child victim six years of age or less. The conduct prohibited by the child abuse and aggravated child abuse statutes is similar to the conduct prohibited by the assault and aggravated assault statutes. The child abuse statutes differ from the assault statutes in that in most scenarios the penalty for an offense under the child abuse statutes will be greater than if that same conduct were punished under the assault statutes. [4] The offenses of child abuse of a child under eighteen and assault are both Class A misdemeanors. If, however, the victim of child abuse is six years of age or less, the offense becomes a Class D felony. Aggravated child abuse of a child under eighteen is punished as a Class B felony, and aggravated child abuse of a child six years of age or less is punished as a Class A felony. The similar conduct under aggravated assault constitutes a Class C felony. Thus, the legislature has determined that one who commits child abuse and aggravated child abuse is more culpable than an offender who commits the same type of crime against an adult. In State v. Walton, 958 S.W.2d 724, 729 (Tenn.1997), this Court observed that the legislature chose to classify sexual offenses perpetrated against children under thirteen years of age as aggravated crimes. We explained that the legislature determined that an offender who sexually abuses a child is more culpable than an offender who commits the same act against an adult. We held that age is an essential element of the offenses. Id. Like the sexual offenses involving children, the legislature has chosen to classify child abuse offenses as aggravated crimes because they are crimes against children. Thus, we hold that the age provisions of the statute are essential elements of the child abuse offenses.