Internet Luring of a Child is charged in Fort Collins and Larimer County when a person has communication of a sexual nature with someone under the age of 15, and invites that person to meet. A Colorado city councilor was recently arrested for this crime after getting caught in an undercover sting operation. According to the report, the man was communicating online with an undercover agent, pretending to be a girl. Authorities report that the man began talking to the agent inappropriately and scheduled a time to meet up. It’s likely that at the scheduled meet, police were there to arrest him. The councilor was also charged with Attempted Internet Sexual Exploitation of a Child.
Larimer County Internet Luring of a Child Lawyer: Definition of Internet Luring of a Child
The Larimer County, Colorado law definition of Internet Luring of a Child – C.R.S. 18-3-306 – is:
Many times, people charged with this crime feel that a defense is that the meeting didn’t actually happen. How can you lure someone if you never actually meet? Well, it is specifically written into the statute that it’s not a defense that the meeting didn’t occur. So, let’s say a person was communicating online with a 14-year-old girl, the conversation became sexual, and then a meeting was set up. However, the person changed their mind and didn’t show up to the meeting. The 14-year old’s mother later found the conversation and turned it over to police. The person could still be charged with Internet Luring of a Child. And even if the meeting did occur and there was no sexual contact or anything inappropriate, Internet Luring of a Child could still be charged.
Sentencing for Internet Luring of a Child in Loveland and Estes Park
According to the statute:
- Internet luring of a child is a class 5 felony;
- Except that luring of a child is a class 4 felony if committed with the intent to meet for the purpose of engaging in sexual exploitation as defined in section 18-6-403 or sexual contact as defined in section 18-3-401.
Most often, Internet Luring of a Child (especially related to undercover sting operations) is charged as a class 4 felony. District attorneys and law enforcement usually assume that because there were sexual conversations, that the purpose of the meeting will be for sexual contact.