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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>66060</law_id><section_number>18.2-371</section_number><catch_line>Causing or encouraging acts rendering children delinquent, abused, etc.; penalty; abandoned infant</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>15.2-1705</reference><reference>15.2-1707</reference><reference>18.2-370.2</reference><reference>18.2-67.5:1</reference><reference>19.2-271.2</reference><reference>19.2-8</reference><reference>22.1-258</reference><reference>22.1-265</reference><reference>24.2-233</reference><reference>63.2-1503</reference><reference>63.2-1530</reference><reference>8.01-226.5:2</reference><reference>9.1-902</reference></referred_to_by><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="4">Family Offenses; Crimes Against Children, etc</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>Any person 18 years of age or older, including the parent of any child, who (i) willfully contributes to, encourages, or causes any act, omission, or condition that renders a child delinquent, in need of services, in need of supervision, or abused or neglected as defined in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/16.1-228/">16.1-228</a> or (ii) engages in consensual sexual intercourse or anal intercourse with or performs cunnilingus, fellatio, or anilingus upon or by a child 15 or older not his spouse, child, or grandchild is guilty of a Class 1 <span class="dictionary">misdemeanor</span>. This section shall not be construed as repealing, modifying, or in any way affecting &#xA7;&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="How principals in second degree and accessories before the fact punished" href="/18.2-18/">18.2-18</a>, <a class="law" title="How accessories after the fact punished; certain exceptions" href="/18.2-19/">18.2-19</a>, <a class="law" title="Rape" href="/18.2-61/">18.2-61</a>, <a class="law" title="Carnal knowledge of child between thirteen and fifteen years of age" href="/18.2-63/">18.2-63</a>, and <a class="law" title="Keeping, residing in, or frequenting a bawdy place; &quot;bawdy place&quot; defined; penalty" href="/18.2-347/">18.2-347</a>.
		If the <span class="dictionary">prosecution</span> under this section is based solely on the <span class="dictionary">accused</span> parent having left the child at a hospital or emergency medical services agency, it shall be an <span class="dictionary">affirmative defense</span> to <span class="dictionary">prosecution</span> of a parent under this section that such parent safely delivered the child within the first 30 days of the child&#x2019;s life to (a) a hospital that provides 24-hour emergency services, (b) an attended emergency medical services agency that employs emergency medical services personnel, or (c) a newborn safety device located at and operated by such hospital or emergency medical services agency. In <span class="dictionary">order</span> for the <span class="dictionary">affirmative defense</span> to apply, the child shall be delivered in a manner reasonably calculated to ensure the child&#x2019;s safety.</p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 18.1-14; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 1981, cc. 397, 568; 1990, c. 797; 1991, c. 295; 1993, c. 411; 2003, cc. 816, 822; 2006, c. 935; 2008, cc. 174, 206; 2014, c. 794; 2015, cc. 502, 503; 2022, cc. 80, 81.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
