Alaska Child Enticement Laws

In Alaska, child enticement laws focus primarily on online enticement of minors. In order for a person to be convicted they must be 18 years or older and knowingly using a computer to communicate with a child that is under 16 or that they believe is under 16 person to entice, solicit, or encourage the following:

• Sexual penetration
• Lewd touching of the child’s genitals or breast
• Masturbation
• Bestiality
• Lewd exhibition of the minor’s genitals
• Sexual masochism or sadism

Penalties for Child Enticement in Alaska

Child enticement is considered to be a Class C felony in Alaska. The maximum penalty for being convicted of a Class C felony is five years in prison and a $50,000 fine. The defendant could also have to pay restitution. If the person that commits child enticement is already a registered sex offender then they will be convicted of a Class B felony. The maximum sentence for a Class B Felony is ten years in prison and up to a $100,000 fine. Sexual offender registration will also be required.

Defense of Child Enticement in Alaska

There are a number of defenses that are available for child enticement, along with certain situations that won’t be deemed to be a viable defense. For instance, mistake of fact will not be a defense that the child enticed, solicited or encourages was not actually under 16 years. Defenses that can be asserted against a charge of child enticement are:

• Coercion- use of unlawful force upon the defendant that the defendant was unable to resist
• Entrapment –where the defendant is induced to commit the crime by a law enforcement officer or someone working with a law enforcement officer and the persuasion is enough that the average person would be influenced by it.
  

Attempted Child Enticement in Alaska

In order to be found guilty of attempted child enticement a person must engage in conduct which can be viewed as a substantial step towards committing child enticement. The penalty for attempted child enticement is a Class B felony which carries a maximum of 5 years imprisonment.

W hen to Talk to a Lawyer

Criminal cases that carry the penalty of a felony are very serious. You should contact a licensed attorney in your state as soon as you are able to. Only an attorney is aware of the intricacies of a criminal case and how to assert any defenses that may be available to you.