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Legal Information: Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Crimes

Laws current as of
October 23, 2024

Crimes

Even if you do not qualify for a restraining order, the abuser may have committed a crime. If you call the police, they may arrest him/her for a crime and you may get a restraining order through the criminal court. Remember that even if you do have a PFA, you can still report him/her to the police if you believe s/he committed a crime against you.

In our Abuse Using Technology section, you can learn the types of behaviors that are considered a misuse of technology. Some of these behaviors might be recognized as a crime depending on the specific laws of your state.

What are some crimes that the abuser may have committed in Pennsylvania?
If I am the victim of a crime, where can I get additional help in Pennsylvania?

What are some crimes that the abuser may have committed in Pennsylvania?

Here is a list of some possible crimes in Pennsylvania that the abuser may have committed. You can click on the links to read the legal definition of the crime in our Selected Pennsylvania Statutes page:

Statute Crime (click here to sort the list alphabetically by crime names)
2701 Assault
2702 Aggravated assault
2705 Reckless endangerment
2709 Harassment
2709.1 Stalking
2718 Strangulation
2901 Kidnapping
2902 Unlawful restraint
2903 False imprisonment
2904 Interference with custody
2909 Concealment of whereabouts of a child
3121 Rape
3122.1 Statutory sexual assault
3123 Involuntary deviate sexual intercourse
3124.1 Sexual assault
3124.2 Institutional sexual assault
3125 Aggravated indecent assault
3126 Indecent assault
3127 Indecent exposure
3131 Unlawful dissemination of intimate image
3133 Sexual extortion
3503 Trespassing
3505 Unlawful use of unmanned aircraft
4120 Identity theft
4302 Incest
4304 Endangering welfare of children
6312 Sexual abuse of children
7507 Breach of privacy by using a psychological-stress evaluator, an audio-stress monitor or a similar device without consent
7507.1 Invasion of privacy
7611 Unlawful use of computer
7615 Computer trespass

If I am the victim of a crime, where can I get additional help in Pennsylvania?

The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency runs an Office of Victims’ Services, which provides information on victims’ rights, victims’ compensation, as well as additional information about other victims’ services in Pennsylvania. They can also be reached at (800) 233-2339.

If you are a victim of domestic violence and have been charged with a crime, you can go to our Abuse Victims Charged with Crimes page.

Other organizations for victims of crime are listed on our National Organizations - Crime Victims page.