New Law Broadens the Provisions of Statutory Rape : Legislation: The ‘gender-neutral’ statute provides stronger punishment for women who have sex with underage boys.

Gov. Pete Wilson on Friday signed into law statutory rape legislation triggered in part by the case of a Granada Hills woman who had sex with 10 teen-age boys and a bill that repealed provisions that made spousal rape a lesser crime.

A law by Sen. Newton Russell (R-Glendale) broadens the definition of statutory rape by making it a “gender-neutral” crime--thus applying to adult women who have sex with underage boys as well as men who rape girls.

In signing Russell’s measure and another bill by Assemblywoman Hilda Solis (D-El Monte) that expands the definition of spousal rape, Wilson said:

“The physical and emotional trauma caused by rape and domestic violence make it one of the most horrible of crimes. These measures will make the law cover more cases of rape, and will increase the penalties against those who commit this crime of violence.”

Russell’s office said his legislation stemmed, in part, from the case of Faye D. Abramowitz, 40, who invited boys ages 14 to 16 to a house she rented in Granada Hills and served them alcoholic drinks while showing them sex videos and then engaged in sex with them, according to court documents.

In July, Abramowitz pleaded no contest to three counts of lewd conduct with a child and five counts of oral copulation with a minor. She was sentenced to five years probation for having sex with teen-age boys, prompting the prosecutor to complain that women who commit sex crimes with minors could not be charged with statutory rape, and thus were not punished as rigorously as men.

Russell said the law was also inspired by the case of a Hemet high school football coach, Randy Brown, and his wife, Kelly, who received suspended prison sentences and probation after pleading guilty to charges that the coach had arranged for one of his players to have sex with his wife.

The cases drew attention to state sex crime laws that apply only to male offenders.

The Russell bill was supported by the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office and the California State Juvenile Officers Assn. It was opposed by the Committee on Moral Concerns and the California Right to Life Coalition.

The Committee on Moral Concerns objected, saying that the parents of a teen-age girl who is raped by a teen-age boy would never bring charges against the boy because it would mean that charges would also be filed against their daughter. The group argued the bill would, in effect, repeal the existing statutory rape law.

The Solis legislation makes spousal rape an automatic felony punishable by up to eight years in state prison. The old law allowed someone convicted of spousal rape to be found guilty of a misdemeanor and serve time in county jail.

The measure also expands the definition of spousal rape to include the rape of one’s spouse while the victim is drugged or unconscious and requires all those convicted of the crime to register as sex offenders.

The bill had wide support in the Legislature despite opposition from two religious groups, including the Committee on Moral Concerns.

The committee said it opposed the bill because it removed the “assumed consent” for sexual relations between a husband and wife and would make it a felony for a husband to have sex with his wife without her consent.