Douglas County Internet Luring of a Child Lawyer

Is It Internet Luring When the ‘Child’ Requests the Meeting?

Communicating via text, email or computer network with a child under the age of 15 and asking that child to meet for any purpose is charged as Internet Luring of a Child in Castle Rock and Douglas County. A man was recently charged for the equivalent of this crime, only I’m not sure it actually applies. According to the report, a father found his 14-year-old daughter in possession of phone that he did not give her. He looked at the phone and found sexually explicit messages between a man and his daughter. The father texted the man from the phone, suggesting the two meet at a park. When the man arrived, the father called the police and the man was arrested. But, if the ‘victim’ is suggesting the meeting, is it technically Internet Luring of a Child?

Douglas County Internet Luring of a Child Attorney: Definition of Internet Luring of a Child

The Douglas County, Colorado law definition of Internet Luring of a Child – C.R.S. 18-3-306 – is:

“

(1) An actor commits internet luring of a child if the actor knowingly communicates over a computer or computer network, telephone network, or data network or by a text message or instant message to a person who the actor knows or believes to be under fifteen years of age and, in that communication or in any subsequent communication by computer, computer network, telephone network, data network, text message, or instant message, describes explicit sexual conduct as defined in section 18-6-403 (2)(e), and, in connection with that description, makes a statement persuading or inviting the person to meet the actor for any purpose, and the actor is more than four years older than the person or than the age the actor believes the person to be.”

As you can see, the actor has to be the one to persuade or invite the child to meet. Because the father suggested it, this crime would likely not apply in Colorado.

Sentence for Internet Luring of a Child in Highlands Ranch and Parker

Internet Luring of a Child is a class 5 or class 4 felony depending on the intent of the meeting. Usually it is a class 5 felony, but if the meeting is for the purpose of sexual exploitation or sexual contact, then it is a class 4 felony.