COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
FOR
Senate Bill No. 148
(By Senators Tomblin, Mr. President, and Buckalew,
By Request of the Executive)
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[Originating in the Committee on the Judiciary;
reported January 26, 1998.]
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A BILL to amend and reenact section five, article eight-d,
chapter sixty-one of the code of West Virginia, one thousand
nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to increasing
the criminal penalty against any parent, guardian or
custodian, or any individual procured by any parent,
guardian or custodian who engages in sexual misconduct with
a child.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section five, article eight-d, chapter sixty-one of the
code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as
amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 8D. CHILD ABUSE.
§61-8D-5. Sexual abuse by a parent, guardian or custodian;
parent, guardian or custodian allowing sexual abuse to be
inflicted upon a child; displaying of sex organs by a
parent, guardian or custodian; penalties.
(a) In addition to any other offenses set forth in this
code, the Legislature hereby declares a separate and distinct
offense under this subsection, as follows: If any parent,
guardian or custodian of a child under his or her care, custody
or control, shall engage in or attempt to engage in sexual
exploitation of, or in sexual intercourse, sexual intrusion or
sexual contact with, a child under his or her care, custody or
control, notwithstanding the fact that the child may have
willingly participated in such conduct, or the fact that the
child may have consented to such conduct or the fact that the
child may have suffered no apparent physical injury or mental or
emotional injury as a result of such conduct, then such parent,
guardian or custodian shall be guilty of a felony and, upon
conviction thereof, shall be imprisoned in the penitentiary not
less than five ten nor more than fifteen twenty years, or fined
not less than five hundred nor more than five thousand dollars
and imprisoned in the penitentiary not less than five ten years
nor more than fifteen twenty years.
(b) If any parent, guardian or custodian shall knowingly
procure, assist or allow another person to engage in or attempt
to engage in sexual exploitation of, or sexual intercourse,
sexual intrusion or sexual contact with, a child under the care,
custody or control of such parent, guardian or custodian when
such child is less than sixteen years of age, notwithstanding the
fact that the child may have willingly participated in such conduct or the fact that the child may have suffered no apparent
physical injury or mental or emotional injury as a result of such
conduct, such parent, guardian or custodian shall be guilty of a
felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be imprisoned in the
penitentiary not less than one year five years nor more than five
fifteen years, or fined not less than one thousand nor more than
ten thousand dollars and imprisoned in the penitentiary not less
than one year five years nor more than five fifteen years.
(c) If any parent, guardian or custodian shall knowingly
procure another person to engage in or attempt to engage in
sexual exploitation of, or sexual intercourse, sexual intrusion
or sexual contact with, a child under the care, custody or
control of such parent, guardian or custodian when such child is
sixteen years of age or older, notwithstanding the fact that the
child may have consented to such conduct or the fact that the
child may have suffered no apparent physical injury or mental or
emotional injury as a result of such conduct, then such parent,
guardian or custodian shall be guilty of a misdemeanor felony
and, upon conviction thereof, shall be confined in the county
jail imprisoned in the penitentiary not less than six months one
year nor more than one year five years.
(d) The provisions of this section shall not apply to a
custodian whose age exceeds the age of the child by less than
four years.
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(NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to increase the criminal
penalty for parents, guardians or custodians or any individual
procured by such persons who engages in sexual misconduct with a
child.)