Accosting And Soliciting A Minor For Immoral Purposes

Michigan Penal Code 750.145a defines the crime and penalties of Accosting For Immoral Purposes. In the past, the accosting of a child has normally taken place in a park or at a school, where the defendant approaches the child and asks for an illegal sexual activity.

Nowadays, child accosting tends to take place online. Sometimes, people believe that internet predators are more difficult to catch or that one is simply able to hide behind a computer screen.

Not only are these false assumptions, but internet crimes bring serious and harsh penalties with them. If you are up against an internet crimes charge, and particularly one that involves a minor child, you are going to need an experienced and aggressive defense criminal defense attorney to fight for  you.

Accosting, enticing or soliciting a child for immoral purpose is a Class F felony which will leave a convicted individual facing a maximum of four years in prison, fines of up to $4,000, or both if convicted. These penalties are for a first-time offender. An individual with a prior conviction and who commits the crime of accosting, enticing or soliciting a child for immoral purpose a second or subsequent time is guilty of a Class D felony, and will face penalties which include a maximum of 10 years in prison, fines of up to $10,000, or both.

Individuals convicted of Accosting, enticing or soliciting a child for immoral purpose may be required to register as a sex offender on the Michigan Public Sex Offender Registry. This is a Tier 2 offense which will result in requirement to register for 25 years.

Note that there is no requirement that the child actually has to be under 16 years of age (or even be a child at all!) as long as the defendant believes this is the case. This opens the door for law enforcement to conduct sting operations to entrap and prosecute offenders who thought they were luring children.