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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>60862</law_id><section_number>18.2-47</section_number><catch_line>Abduction and kidnapping defined; forced labor; punishment</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>15.2-1724</reference><reference>16.1-260</reference><reference>17.1-805</reference><reference>18.2-308.2</reference><reference>18.2-356</reference><reference>18.2-370.2</reference><reference>18.2-370.3</reference><reference>18.2-370.4</reference><reference>18.2-513</reference><reference>18.2-61</reference><reference>18.2-67.1</reference><reference>18.2-67.2</reference><reference>18.2-67.9</reference><reference>19.2-10.2</reference><reference>19.2-215.1</reference><reference>19.2-268.3</reference><reference>19.2-297.1</reference><reference>19.2-386.16</reference><reference>19.2-386.32</reference><reference>19.2-386.35</reference><reference>19.2-392.02</reference><reference>19.2-392.12</reference><reference>19.2-83.1</reference><reference>2.2-515.2</reference><reference>22.1-279.3:1</reference><reference>4.1-225</reference><reference>53.1-131.2</reference><reference>53.1-202.3</reference><reference>53.1-40.02</reference><reference>8.01-42.4</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="4">Crimes Against the Person</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="3">Kidnapping and Related Offenses</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> Any person who, by force, <span class="dictionary">intimidation</span> or deception, and without legal justification or excuse, seizes, takes, transports, <span class="dictionary">detains</span> or secretes another person with the <span class="dictionary">intent</span> to deprive such other person of his personal liberty or to withhold or conceal him from any person, authority or institution lawfully entitled to his charge, shall be deemed guilty of &#x201C;abduction.&#x201D; <a id="paragraph-222509" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-47/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> Any person who, by force, <span class="dictionary">intimidation</span> or deception, and without legal justification or excuse, obtains the labor or services of another person, or seizes, takes, transports, <span class="dictionary">detains</span> or secretes another person or threatens to do so, with the <span class="dictionary">intent</span> to subject him to forced labor or services, shall be deemed guilty of &#x201C;abduction.&#x201D; For purposes of this subsection, the term &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">intimidation</span>&#x201D; shall include destroying, concealing, confiscating, withholding, or threatening to withhold a passport, immigration document, or other governmental identification, threatening to report another as being illegally present in the United States, or threatening to separate another from or to harm a family member. <a id="paragraph-222510" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-47/#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 <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officer in the performance of his duty. The terms &#x201C;abduction&#x201D; and &#x201C;kidnapping&#x201D; shall be synonymous in this Code. Except as provided in subsection D, abduction of a <span class="dictionary">minor</span> shall be punished as a Class 2 <span class="dictionary">felony</span>. Abduction for which no punishment is otherwise prescribed shall be punished as a Class 5 <span class="dictionary">felony</span>. <a id="paragraph-222511" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-47/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> If an <span class="dictionary">offense</span> under subsection A is committed by the parent or a family or household member, as defined in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/16.1-228/">16.1-228</a>, who has been ordered <span class="dictionary">custody</span> or visitation of the person abducted and punishable as <span class="dictionary">contempt of court</span> in any proceeding then pending, the <span class="dictionary">offense</span> shall be a Class 1 <span class="dictionary">misdemeanor</span> in addition to being punishable as <span class="dictionary">contempt of court</span>. However, such <span class="dictionary">offense</span>, if committed by the parent or a family or household member, as defined in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/16.1-228/">16.1-228</a>, who has been ordered <span class="dictionary">custody</span> or visitation of the person abducted and punishable as <span class="dictionary">contempt of court</span> in any proceeding then pending and the person abducted is removed from the Commonwealth by the abducting parent or a family or household member, as defined in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/16.1-228/">16.1-228</a>, who has been ordered <span class="dictionary">custody</span> or visitation, shall be a Class 6 <span class="dictionary">felony</span> in addition to being punishable as <span class="dictionary">contempt of court</span>. <a id="paragraph-222512" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/18.2-47/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7;&#xA7; 18.1-36, 18.1-37; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 1979, c. 663; 1980, c. 506; 1997, c. 747; 2009, c. 662; 2023, c. 400; 2024, c. 368.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
