Code of Virginia § 18.2-371. Causing or encouraging acts rendering children delinquent, abused, etc.; penalty; abandoned infant.

287 words·~1 min read·/va/title-18-2/chapter-8/18-2-371

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Any person 18 years of age or older, including the parent of any child, who

(i)willfully contributes to, encourages, or causes any act, omission, or condition that renders a child delinquent, in need of services, in need of supervision, or abused or neglected as defined in § 16.1-228 or

(ii)engages in consensual sexual intercourse or anal intercourse with or performs cunnilingus, fellatio, or anilingus upon or by a child 15 or older not his spouse, child, or grandchild is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. This section shall not be construed as repealing, modifying, or in any way affecting §§ 18.2-18 , 18.2-19 , 18.2-61 , 18.2-63 , and 18.2-347 .

If the prosecution under this section is based solely on the accused parent having left the child at a hospital or emergency medical services agency, it shall be an affirmative defense to prosecution of a parent under this section that such parent safely delivered the child within the first 30 days of the child's life to

(a)a hospital that provides 24-hour emergency services,

(b)an attended emergency medical services agency that employs emergency medical services personnel, or

(c)a newborn safety device located at and operated by such hospital or emergency medical services agency. In order for the affirmative defense to apply, the child shall be delivered in a manner reasonably calculated to ensure the child's safety.

Code 1950, § 18.1-14; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 1981, cc. 397, 568; 1990, c. 797; 1991, c. 295; 1993, c. 411; 2003, cc. 816 , 822 ; 2006, c. 935 ; 2008, cc. 174 , 206 ; 2014, c. 794 ; 2015, cc. 502 , 503 ; 2022, cc. 80 , 81 .