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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>81938</law_id><section_number>18.2-356.1</section_number><catch_line>Purchasing or selling of minors; exceptions; penalties</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="18.2">Crimes and Offenses Generally</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="8">Crimes Involving Morals and Decency</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="3">Commercial Sex Trafficking, Prostitution, etc</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> Any person who offers money or other valuable thing to another for the purpose of purchasing or otherwise obtaining <span class="dictionary">custody</span> or control of a <span class="dictionary">minor</span> and thereafter does any substantial act in furtherance thereof is guilty of a Class 5 <span class="dictionary">felony</span>. <a id="paragraph-293586" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-356.1/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> Any parent, legal guardian, or other person having <span class="dictionary">custody</span> or control of a <span class="dictionary">minor</span> who receives any money or other valuable thing for or on account of selling or otherwise transferring <span class="dictionary">custody</span> or control of such <span class="dictionary">minor</span>, or offers to sell or otherwise transfer <span class="dictionary">custody</span> or control of such <span class="dictionary">minor</span>, is guilty of a Class 5 <span class="dictionary">felony</span>. <a id="paragraph-293587" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-356.1/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> The provisions of this section shall not apply to any person (i) entering into a surrogacy <span class="dictionary">contract</span> pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 9 (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/20-156/">20-156</a> et seq.) of Title 20, (ii) seeking to adopt a child or place his child for adoption pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 12 (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Who may place children for adoption" href="/63.2-1200/">63.2-1200</a> et seq.) of Title 63.2, or (iii) who is a person with a legitimate interest as defined in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/20-124.1/">20-124.1</a> in such <span class="dictionary">minor</span>. <a id="paragraph-293588" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-356.1/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> A violation of this section shall constitute a separate and distinct <span class="dictionary">offense</span>. If the acts or activities violating this section also violate another provision of <span class="dictionary">law</span>, a <span class="dictionary">prosecution</span> under this section shall not prohibit or bar any <span class="dictionary">prosecution</span> or proceeding under such other provision or the imposition of any penalties provided for thereby. <a id="paragraph-293589" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-356.1/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>2023, c. 359.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
