Bill > HB1834

This bill modifies the existing Missouri state law on the criminal offense of child enticement by raising the age of the victim from seventeen to eighteen years old. Specifically, the bill makes it a felony for any person twenty-one years of age or older to persuade, solicit, coax, entice, or lure a person under eighteen years old (previously under seventeen years old) for the purpose of engaging in sexual conduct, regardless of the method of communication, including in-person interactions or through internet or electronic communication. The bill explicitly states that it is not a defense if the targeted individual is actually a law enforcement officer posing as a minor. If convicted, the offender would face a mandatory prison sentence of between five and thirty years, with a mandatory five-year period during which the individual would be ineligible for parole, probation, conditional release, or suspended sentencing. This change aims to provide additional legal protection for minors by extending the age of protection from seventeen to eighteen years old.

Government Affairs, Justice

https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB1834&year=2026&code=R