(1) A person is guilty of criminal sexual conduct in the third degree if the actor engages in sexual battery with the victim and if any one or more of the following circumstances are proven: (a) The actor uses force or coercion to accomplish the sexual battery in the absence of aggravating circumstances. (b) The actor knows or has reason to know that the victim is mentally defective, mentally incapacitated, or physically helpless and aggravated force or aggravated coercion was not used to accomplish sexual battery. (2) Criminal sexual conduct in the third degree is a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than ten years, according to the discretion of the court. HISTORY: 1977 Act No. 157 Section 4.
South Carolina Legal Code