To what extent must an indictment charging sex offenses against an infant be time specific?

The Court of Appeals first addressed this question in People v. Keindl, 68 NY2d 410 (1987). Keindl, held that the time span of the alleged events in the indictment were too great to require to defend against. It also explained that although an accused is entitled to the time and place of the alleged acts in order to present a defense, that requirement may be tempered against the age and intelligence of the victim, the surrounding circumstances, and the nature of the offense, including whether it is likely to occur at a specific time or is likely to be discovered immediately. See also, CPL 200.50(6).

In People v. Beauchamp, 74 NY2d 639, the infants were aged four …