False accusation of pedophilia?

Question

When a angry relative accuses you of pedophilia, what does the court look for to say if someone is a pedophile or not? I know I've never done anything remotely related to pedophilia, but I've heard alot about parents making their kids say things and I've heard that if the kid says you are, it's an open and shut case in many courts.

Answer 1

While pedophilia cases can be pretty hard to dispute, it's not as open and shut as these people made it look. There may be a lot of things wrong with our Criminal Justice system, but one fact that remains is that in order to be convicted in a court of law, the prosecuter has to prove to the jury beyond a reasonable doubt that you are guilty. Basically, the kid has to have a consistent and convincing story. If it's obvious he/she has been coached, ( ie their story isn't consistent, the facts change, the story changes, things don't make sense) or there's a history or some kind of tangible proof that your relative has lied or had problems with you in the past and is doing this just to get you in trouble, these are things a good law enforcement/defense team will look for.  If you're really worried about it, go on the offensive. Have you ever had any opportunity to molest the child in question? For example, If you've never even been alone with the kid, it will be harder to say that you're a pedophile. You could also take the relative to civil court over slander charges. If he/she is going around saying this and you really are innocent, then you can always sue her/him for slander.  

Answer 2

If the kid says it and keeps their story strait, you have no chance.

Answer 3

True. As long as the kid says you are, your pretty much damned. Just like if a girl accuses you of rape, or that you assaulted her, your damned.