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NJ Assemblyman: Goal Of Bill Is To Broaden Definition Of Rape

By Dom Giordano

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Merriam-Webster's Dictionary defines rape as an "unlawful sexual activity and usually sexual intercourse carried out forcibly or under threat of injury against the will usually of a female or with a person who is beneath a certain age or incapable of valid consent."

If New Jersey Assemblyman Troy Singleton's (D-Burlington) bill passes, that definition might have to be broadened.

Singleton spoke with WPHT midday host, Dom Giordano, about his bill and what exactly he is trying to accomplish with it.

"What we're trying to do is look at the issue of sexual assault to be broader than just what we typically deem as such and use the tools that were trying to provide the judiciary to make a determination for the most egregious acts if it moves beyond the scope of just a physical act and moves into a different space with respect to sexual assault… Instances where judges will make the determination if something is de minimis infraction then the judges can dismiss those types of cases. So were not talking about just someone being out at the bar and saying that they were the quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles. We're talking about cases that rise to a more significant level where there's been higher levels of whether financial or some other kind of fraud."

Looking at rape in a different way has been a focus of Singleton's ever since Mischele Lewis contacted him after she was conned out of sex and $5,000 by William Jordan, who claimed to be CIA agent needing the money for security clearance.

"Mischele came to us, once her story became public and talked to us about what she had gone through and thought that there was an opportunity to address this issue by correcting or amending New Jersey statute."

Singleton explained that his bill is not intended to make light of the victims of rape and sexual assault as we currently see it.

"By no means are we trying to diminish the sort of what we see as the typical understanding of what sexual assault and rape is. That horrific crime and the penalties that are associated with it are appropriate and should always be prosecuted to the fullest extent, but what we recognize is that under New Jersey's law already forcible contact is not needed for prosecution. So we want to make sure that there others instances like Mischele that rises to that level that a prosecutor could make a determination based on the facts whether or not they can prosecute under the statute as it is here in New Jersey."

Assemblywomen Pamela Lampitt and Gabriela Mosquera are the co-sponsors of the bill and it officially will be introduced the morning of December 4th.

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