Bill > HB82

This bill proposes comprehensive updates to Montana's laws concerning crimes against children, focusing on strengthening protections against sexual exploitation. The bill creates a new criminal offense of "grooming of a child for a sexual offense," which broadly defines grooming as behavior intended to manipulate, prepare, or persuade a minor to engage in sexual activity. The legislation expands existing laws to include scenarios involving law enforcement officers using undercover or fictitious identities, effectively closing potential legal loopholes. Key provisions include criminalizing attempts to manipulate children through electronic or in-person communication, establishing severe penalties for offenders (including potential life imprisonment for serious cases), and adding computer-generated child pornography to the definition of sexual abuse of children. The bill also modifies several existing statutes related to sexual offenses, such as indecent exposure, prostitution, and child sex trafficking, to broaden their scope and increase potential punishments. Additionally, the new law adds "grooming of a child for a sexual offense" to the state's definition of sexual offenses, which has implications for sex offender registration and monitoring. The bill aims to provide more comprehensive legal tools to protect children from sexual predation across various potential scenarios, with an effective date of July 1, 2025.

Budget and Finance, Justice

https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/20251/LC0232