Enticement of a Child is charged in Fort Collins and Larimer County when a person invites a child to enter a place with the intent to commit a sex offense against the child. A Colorado man was recently sentenced to 19 years in prison for this crime after he was accused of crossing state lines to pick up a 14-year-old girl he had been communicating with online. According to the report, the online messages made it clear that he knew the age of the girl and wanted to meet up with her for sexual purposes. The case was handled in federal court because it occurred in multiple states, but the crime can be handled in a Colorado District Court and has very similar elements.
Larimer County Enticement of a Child Lawyer: Definition of Enticement of a Child in Colorado
The Larimer County, Colorado law definition of Enticement of a Child – C.R.S. 18-3-305 – is:
A similar crime in Colorado is Internet Luring of a Child, which honestly, the man in the story above could have been charged with. Internet Luring is charged when a person communicates online with someone under the age of 15 and the communication involves sexual messages and there is an invitation to meet. Enticement is usually charged when the invitation occurs in person and Internet Luring is charged when the invitation occurs online. However, both have very similar elements.
Prison Sentence for Enticement of a Child in Loveland and Estes Park
In Fort Collins, Loveland, and Estes Park, Enticement of a Child is a class 4 felony. However, if aggravating factors are present, it can be charged as a class 3 felony. These aggravating factors include:
- Defendant has a previous conviction for Enticement of a Child, Sexual Assault on a Child or Conspiracy or Attempt to commit either of those two crimes; or
- The Enticement of a Child results in bodily injury to the child.
Whether it is a class 3 or class 4 felony, Enticement of a Child is punishable by an indeterminate sentence to the Colorado Department of Corrections. This means that the maximum the person could spend in prison is life.