Opinion ID: 2582445
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Criminal Sexual Penetration of a Child Under Thirteen in the First Degree

Text: {19} Criminal sexual penetration is the unlawful and intentional causing of a person to engage in sexual intercourse, cunnilingus, fellatio or anal intercourse or the causing of penetration, to any extent and with any object, of the genital or anal openings of another, whether or not there is any emission. Section 30-9-11(A). All sexual penetration perpetrated on a child under thirteen years of age is criminal sexual penetration in the first degree. Section 30-9-11(C). Under this theory of liability, the State was required to prove, in relevant part, that (1) Defendant caused Baby Briana to engage in anal intercourse; (2) Baby Briana was twelve years of age or younger; and (3) Defendant's act was unlawful. See UJI 14-957 NMRA (defining the elements of criminal sexual penetration of a child under thirteen years of age). {20} With regard to the charge of criminal sexual penetration, the statements of Defendant's codefendants are largely silent. Only Father remarked about Baby Briana's sexual injuries, and he specifically said that he did not think Defendant was capable of causing the injury to Baby Briana's anus. During his interview with police, Defendant eventually told police that he could not remember starting the sex act with Baby Briana but that he remembered stopping because he realized what he was doing was wrong. Because his codefendants' statements did not strengthen Defendant's confession or the corroborating physical evidence of guilt, we conclude that the admission of the statements was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt with respect to his conviction for criminal sexual penetration. See Johnson, 2004-NMSC-029, ¶ 53, 136 N.M. 348, 98 P.3d 998.