Hawk v. State

506 N.E.2d 71, 1987 Ind. App. LEXIS 2581
Indiana Court of Appeals·Decided April 15, 1987·No. 2-1185-A-365·Published·Cited by 11 cases

Opinions

SULLIVAN, Judge.

Tony Hawk appeals his conviction by the court following a bench trial for touching or fondling a child less than twelve years of age with intent to arouse or satisfy sexual desires.1 Hawk argues that touching or fondling with intent to arouse or satisfy is not a lesser included offense of sexual intercourse with a child less than twelve years of age, the crime with which he was charged.

The information read, in pertinent part: "[O]n or about 11/84 and March 20, 1985, exact time and date unknown, in the County of Tipton, in the State of Indiana, one Tony Wayne Hawk did then and there perform sexual intercourse with [N.W., victim] a child under the age of twelve (12) years of age contrary to the form of the statute in such case made and provided and against the peace and [73] dignity of the State of Indiana...." Record at 15.2

In Buck v. State (1983) Ind., 453 N.E.2d 993, our Supreme Court determined that the offense of touching or fondling with intent to arouse or satisfy was not a lesser included offense of deviate sexual conduct. In holding that the trial court did not err by allowing charges of both to proceed to trial, the court stated:

"It is evident the child molesting statute embraces three distinct types of child molesting by encompassing the acts of sexual intercourse, deviate sexual conduct, and fondling or touching with intent to arouse sexual desires. Clearly different acts and elements are required to be proven in eack case and the defensive posture would not be the same since the prosecution would necessarily proceed under different theories and proof." Id. at 997 {(emphasis supplied).

We are compelled by the Buck analysis to conclude that touching or fondling with intent to arouse or satisfy is not a lesser included offense of sexual intercourse under the statute.

The crime charged and the crime for which Hawk was convicted have different elements. "Sexual intercourse" is defined by statute as, "[Ajn act that includes any penetration of the female sex organ by the male sex organ." I.C. 35-41-1-26 (Burns Code Ed.Repl.1985). Touching or fondling is not defined by statute, but the statutory provision for the crime of touching or fondling a child requires a showing that the touching or fondling was, "[wJith intent to arouse or to satisfy the sexual desires...." IC. 35-42-4-3(b). Thus, the crimes have different elements: one requires a showing of penetration, which the other does not, and one requires a showing of a specific intent contemporaneous with the conduct, which the other does not. Neither crime is statutorily included in the other because neither is established by proof of the same material elements as the other. See, I.C. 85-41-1-16(1) (Burns Code Ed.Repl.1985).

Nor is touching or fondling a lesser included offense of sexual intercourse under this statute in the sense that proof of one requires proof of less than all the material elements of the other. Id.

Of course, a penetration is a touching. Cf., Douglas v. State (1985) 4th Dist. Ind.App., 484 N.E.2d 610, 613 (oral-genital contact under criminal deviate conduct charge is a touching). However, our analysis cannot end there. The crime of touching or fondling requires a showing that the touching or fondling was done with the specific intent to arouse or satisfy sexual desires. Hopper v. State (1986) 1st Dist. Ind.App., 489 N.E.2d 1209, 1216, cert. denied (1986) — U.S. —, 107 S.Ct. 592, 93 L.Ed.2d 593; Hammond v. State (1985) 2d Dist. Ind.App., 479 N.E.2d 629, 632; McEachern v. State (1985) 3d Dist. Ind.App., 474 N.E.2d 1034; see generally, Mullins v. State (1985) 3d Dist. Ind.App., 486 N.E.2d 623, 625; Newton v. State (1983) 2d Dist. Ind.App., 456 N.E.2d 736, 739 n. 1 (diseuss-ing intent element under I.C. generally). By definition, sexual intercourse carries with it no such specific intent. I.C. 35-41-1-26, and see, 1.0. 85-42-4-1 (Burns Code Ed.Repl.1985) (rape statute adds mental element of "knowingly" or "intentionally"); Newton, supra, at 789 n. 1.

Specific intent is rarely, if ever, susceptible to overt proof. It is a state of mind which is usually determined inferentially, by resort to the surrounding cireum-stances. Hammond, supra, 479 N.E.2d at 632; McEachern, supra, 474 N.B.2d at [74]*741086. A trier of fact having evidence of only a penetration would be justified in reaching a conclusion, via inference, that the intent to arouse or satisfy sexual desires was present. Nevertheless, the specific intent in that instance would be determined derivatively, or inferentially, and could possibly be disproved. CJ Buck, supro, 453 N.E.2d at 997 (prosecution must proceed under different theories for different crimes); Hammond, supra, at 632 (defendant denied sexual intent while admitting touching). Thus it would be possible, although perhaps unusual, to engage in sexual intercourse without necessarily having the intent to arouse or satisfy.3 We must therefore conclude that touching or fondling with the requisite intent is not statutorily or inherently included in the child molestation-sexual intercourse crime.

It may well be that our consideration of the issue should end with this determination. Our Supreme Court has recently and unanimously held that a defendant is not entitled to an instruction upon a lesser offense unless the language of the statute and the charging document necessarily include the lesser offense. Roland v. State (1986) Ind., 501 N.E.2d 1034, citing Salhuddin v. State (1986) Ind., 492 N.E.2d 292 (also unanimous). It would seem that the lesser included offense concepts embraced within the reported decisions constitute two edges to the same sword. One cannot plausibly contend that a defendant may not receive an instruction on a lesser offense yet contend that the State might convict him of that offense.

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Hawk v. State
506 N.E.2d 71 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1987)