Sexual Abuse of a Child requires the offender to be at least 16 years old and the victim to be under 12.

• A. 16+, victim <12
• B. 18+, victim <12
• C. 16+, victim 12-16
• D. 16+, victim <14

Answer: (A)

The essential rule here is that this offense hinges on two age elements: the offender must be at least 16 years old, and the victim must be under 12 years old. When both conditions are met, the conduct fits the definition of sexual abuse of a child as described in this setting.

That’s why the option with a 16-year-old or older offender paired with a victim under 12 is the correct match. If the offender were younger than 16, or if the victim were 12 or older, the specific statutory definition for this offense isn’t satisfied. The other options fail because they either raise the offender’s minimum age beyond 16, or place the victim in an age range that isn’t under 12, or use a different underage threshold (such as under 14) that doesn’t align with the required definition.