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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>77778</law_id><section_number>18.2-374.3</section_number><catch_line>Use of communications systems to facilitate certain offenses involving children; penalties</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>17.1-805</reference><reference>19.2-268.3</reference><reference>19.2-305.1</reference><reference>19.2-386.31</reference><reference>19.2-392.02</reference><reference>19.2-70.3</reference><reference>63.2-1530</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="5">Obscenity and Related Offenses</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> As used in this section, &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">use a communications system</span>&#x201D; means making personal contact or direct contact through any agent or agency, any print medium, the United States mail, any common carrier or communication common carrier, any electronic communications system, the Internet, or any telecommunications, wire, computer network, or radio communications system. <a id="paragraph-278943" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-374.3/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> It is unlawful for any person to <span class="dictionary">use a communications system</span>, including computers or computer networks or bulletin boards, or any other electronic means for the purposes of procuring or promoting the use of a <span class="dictionary">minor</span> for any activity in violation of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Taking indecent liberties with children; penalties" href="/18.2-370/">18.2-370</a> or <a class="law" title="Production, publication, sale, financing, etc., of child pornography; presumption as to age" href="/18.2-374.1/">18.2-374.1</a>. A violation of this subsection is a Class 6 <span class="dictionary">felony</span>. <a id="paragraph-278944" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-374.3/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> It is unlawful for any person 18 years of age or older to <span class="dictionary">use a communications system</span>, including computers or computer networks or bulletin boards, or any other electronic means, for the purposes of soliciting, with lascivious <span class="dictionary">intent</span>, any person he knows or has reason to believe is a child younger than 15 years of age to knowingly and intentionally: <a id="paragraph-278945" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-374.3/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C1" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> Expose his sexual or genital parts to any child to whom he is not legally married or propose that any such child expose his sexual or genital parts to such person; <a id="paragraph-278946" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-374.3/#C1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C2" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> Propose that any such child feel or fondle his own sexual or genital parts or the sexual or genital parts of such person or propose that such person feel or fondle the sexual or genital parts of any such child; <a id="paragraph-278947" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-374.3/#C2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C3" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">3.</span> Propose to such child the performance of an act of sexual intercourse, anal intercourse, cunnilingus, fellatio, or anilingus or any act constituting an <span class="dictionary">offense</span> under &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Crimes against nature; penalty" href="/18.2-361/">18.2-361</a>; or <a id="paragraph-278948" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-374.3/#C3"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C4" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">4.</span> Entice, allure, persuade, or invite any such child to enter any vehicle, room, house, or other place, for any purposes set forth in the preceding subdivisions.
				Any person who violates this subsection is guilty of a Class 5 <span class="dictionary">felony</span>. However, if the person is at least seven years older than the child he knows or has reason to believe is less than 15 years of age, the person shall be punished by a term of imprisonment of not less than five years nor more than 30 years in a state correctional facility, five years of which shall be mandatory minimum term of imprisonment. Any person who commits a second or subsequent violation of this subsection when the person is at least seven years older than the child he knows or has reason to believe is less than 15 years of age shall be punished by a term of imprisonment of not less than 10 years nor more than 40 years, 10 years of which shall be a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment. <a id="paragraph-278949" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-374.3/#C4"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> Any person who uses a communications system, including computers or computer networks or bulletin boards, or any other electronic means, for the purposes of soliciting, with lascivious <span class="dictionary">intent</span>, any child he knows or has reason to believe is at least 15 years of age but younger than 18 years of age to knowingly and intentionally commit any of the activities listed in subsection C if the person is at least seven years older than the child is guilty of a Class 5 <span class="dictionary">felony</span>. Any person who commits a second or subsequent violation of this subsection shall be punished by a term of imprisonment of not less than one nor more than 20 years, one year of which shall be a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment. <a id="paragraph-278950" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-374.3/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D1"><p><span class="prefix-number">D1.</span> Any person 18 years of age or older who uses a communications system, including computers or computer networks or bulletin boards, or any other electronic means, with lascivious <span class="dictionary">intent</span>, to expose his sexual or genital parts to any person he knows or has reason to know is a child to whom he is not legally married and such child is 15 years of age or older is guilty of a Class 1 <span class="dictionary">misdemeanor</span>. <a id="paragraph-278951" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-374.3/#D1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="E"><p><span class="prefix-number">E.</span> Any person 18 years of age or older who uses a communications system, including computers or computer networks or bulletin boards, or any other electronic means, for the purposes of soliciting any person he knows or has reason to believe is a child younger than 18 years of age for (i) any activity in violation of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Taking, detaining, etc., person for prostitution, etc., or consenting thereto; human trafficking" href="/18.2-355/">18.2-355</a> or <a class="law" title="Crimes against nature; penalty" href="/18.2-361/">18.2-361</a>, (ii) any activity in violation of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Production, publication, sale, financing, etc., of child pornography; presumption as to age" href="/18.2-374.1/">18.2-374.1</a>, or (iii) a violation of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Possession, reproduction, distribution, solicitation, and facilitation of child pornography; penalty" href="/18.2-374.1_1/">18.2-374.1:1</a> is guilty of a Class 5 <span class="dictionary">felony</span>. <a id="paragraph-278952" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-374.3/#E"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1992, c. 699; 1999, c. 659; 2003, cc. 935, 938; 2004, cc. 414, 444, 459, 864; 2007, cc. 759, 823; 2013, cc. 423, 470; 2014, c. 794; 2025, c. 261.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
