Federal Statutes Relating to Crimes Against Children

We exercise jurisdiction and investigative responsibilities pursuant to the following federal statutes pertaining to various violent crimes against children.

1) Follow the links for summaries from the Federal Criminal Code and Rules under Title 18 of the United States Code. Federal law defines a “minor” as a child under the age of 18 unless specified otherwise. (Note: All links below are PDFs.)

• Section 1073. Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution (UFAP) or Giving Testimony
• Section 1201. Kidnapping
• Section 1204. International Parental Kidnapping
• Section 1462. Importation or Transportation of Obscene Matters
• Section 1465. Transportation of Obscene Matters for Sale or Distribution
• Section 1466. Engaging in the Business of Selling or Transferring Obscene Matter
• Section 1467(a). Criminal Forfeiture
• Section 1470. Transfer of Obscene Material to Minors
• Section 1591. Sex Trafficking of Children or by Force, Fraud, or Coercion
• Section 2241. Aggravated Sexual Abuse
• Section 2243. Sexual Abuse of a Minor or Ward
• Section 2251. Sexual Exploitation of Children
• Section 2251A(a)(b). Selling or Buying of Children
• Section 2252. Certain Activities Relating to Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of Minors
• Section 2252A. Certain Activities Relating to Material Constituting or Containing Child Pornography
• Section 2253(a). Criminal Forfeiture
• Section 2254. Civil Forfeiture
• Section 2257. Record Keeping Requirements
• Section 2260(a)(b). Production of Sexually Explicit Depictions of a Minor for Importation into the United States
• Section 2421. Transportation Generally
• Section 2422. Coercion and Enticement
• Section 2423(a)(b). Transportation of Minors
• Section 2425. Use of Interstate Facilities to Transmit Information About a Minor

Implemented in April 2003, the Prosecutorial Remedies and Other Tools to End Child Exploitation Today (PROTECT) Act was originally known for creating a nationwide AMBER Alert system, though it did much more, including increasing penalties for certain convictions. Read the full act for additional details.