SLS 25RS-322 ORIGINAL
2025 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 58
BY SENATOR CONNICK
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
CRIME/PUNISHMENT. Creates the crime of child grooming. (8/1/25)
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 15:541(24)(a) and to enact R.S. 14:81.7, relative to sexual
3 offenses affecting minors; to create the crime of child grooming; to provide for the
4 elements of the offense; to provide for penalties; to define child grooming as a sex
5 offense; and to provide for related matters.
6 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. R.S. 14:81.7 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
8 §81.7. Child grooming
9 A. A person commits the crime of child grooming by taking any action
10 to persuade, induce, entice, seduce, or coerce a child under the age of seventeen
11 years, when there is an age difference greater than two years between the
12 offender and the child, to engage in any conduct intended to facilitate the
13 offender committing a lewd or lascivious act upon the child, in the child's
14 presence, or in the presence of another child under the age of seventeen.
15 B.(1) A person who commits the crime of child grooming shall be
16 imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not more than five years.
17 (2) A person over the age of seventeen years who commits the crime of
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 58
SLS 25RS-322 ORIGINAL
1 child grooming, with a juvenile who is less than thirteen years of age, shall be
2 imprisoned, with hard labor, for not less than two years nor more than twenty-
3 five years.
4 Section 2. R.S. 15:541(24)(a) is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
5 §541. Definitions
6 For the purposes of this Chapter, the definitions of terms in this Section shall
7 apply:
8 * * *
9 (24)(a) "Sex offense" means deferred adjudication, adjudication withheld, or
10 conviction for the perpetration or attempted perpetration of or conspiracy to commit
11 human trafficking when prosecuted under the provisions of R.S. 14:46.2(B)(2), R.S.
12 14:46.3 (trafficking of children for sexual purposes), R.S. 14:89 (crime against
13 nature), R.S. 14:89.1 (aggravated crime against nature), R.S. 14:89.2(B)(3) (crime
14 against nature by solicitation), R.S. 14:80 (felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile),
15 R.S. 14:81 (indecent behavior with juveniles), R.S. 14:81.1 (pornography involving
16 juveniles), R.S. 14:81.2 (molestation of a juvenile or a person with a physical or
17 mental disability), R.S. 14:81.3 (computer-aided solicitation of a minor), R.S.
18 14:81.4 (prohibited sexual conduct between an educator and student), R.S. 14:81.7
19 (child grooming), R.S. 14:82.1 (prostitution; persons under eighteen), R.S.
20 14:82.2(C)(4) and (5) (purchase of commercial sexual activity), R.S. 14:92(A)(7)
21 (contributing to the delinquency of juveniles), R.S. 14:93.5 (sexual battery of persons
22 with infirmities), R.S. 14:106(A)(5) (obscenity by solicitation of a person under the
23 age of seventeen), R.S. 14:283 (video voyeurism), R.S. 14:41 (rape), R.S. 14:42
24 (aggravated or first degree rape), R.S. 14:42.1 (forcible or second degree rape), R.S.
25 14:43 (simple or third degree rape), R.S. 14:43.1 (sexual battery), R.S. 14:43.2
26 (second degree sexual battery), R.S. 14:43.3 (oral sexual battery), R.S. 14:43.5
27 (intentional exposure to HIV), a second or subsequent conviction of R.S. 14:283.1
28 (voyeurism), or a second or subsequent conviction of R.S. 14:89.3 (sexual abuse of
29 an animal), committed on or after June 18, 1992, or committed prior to June 18,
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 58
SLS 25RS-322 ORIGINAL
1 1992, if the person, as a result of the offense, is under the custody of the Department
2 of Public Safety and Corrections on or after June 18, 1992. A conviction for any
3 offense provided in this definition includes a conviction for the offense under the
4 laws of another state, or military, territorial, foreign, tribal, or federal law which is
5 equivalent to an offense provided for in this Chapter, unless the tribal court or
6 foreign conviction was not obtained with sufficient safeguards for fundamental
7 fairness and due process for the accused as provided by the federal guidelines
8 adopted pursuant to the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006.
9 * * *
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Senate Legislative Services.
The keyword, summary, and digest do not constitute part of the law or proof
or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
DIGEST
SB 58 Original 2025 Regular Session Connick
Proposed law creates the crime of child grooming and makes it a crime for a person to take
any action to persuade, induce, entice, seduce, or coerce a child under the age of 17, when
there is an age difference greater than two years between the offender and the child, to
engage in any conduct intended to facilitate the offender committing a lewd or lascivious act
upon the child, in the child's presence, or in the presence of another child who is under 17
years of age.
Proposed law provides that a person who commits the crime of child grooming with a child
who is at least 13 years of age will be imprisoned for not more than five years, with or
without hard labor. Proposed law also provides that a person over the age of 17 years who
commits the crime of child grooming, with a juvenile who is less than 13 years of age, will
be imprisoned, with hard labor, for not less than two years nor more than 25 years.
Proposed law adds the crime of child grooming to the present law definition of "sex
offense".
Effective August 1, 2025.
(Amends R.S. 15:541(24)(a); adds R.S. 14:81.7)
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.