Most Child Sex Offenders Are Family Or Friends, Report Says

The average child sexually abused by an adult in Idaho is likely to be a female between the ages of 12 and 15.

The average child abused by a juvenile is likely to be much younger, between ages 4 and 7, a new state report says.

State officials on Friday released a survey of child offenses in Idaho for the year ending last July 1.

It listed 356 reported cases, down 69 or 16 percent from the year before.

The report showed that when it was an adult abusing a juvenile, 88 percent of the time the victim was attacked by family members or acquaintances.

In 83 percent of the cases where juveniles attacked underage victims, it was a family member or acquaintance.

“These statistics are shocking,” Attorney General Alan Lance said. “In one-third of the reported cases, a juvenile was not only the victim but also the perpetrator.”

The report showed that when criminal cases were completed, only about one-third of the violators went to prison.