RS 92 - Contributing to the delinquency of juveniles
A. Contributing to the delinquency of juveniles is the intentional enticing, aiding, soliciting, or permitting, by anyone over the age of seventeen, of any child under the age of seventeen, and no exception shall be made for a child who may be emancipated by marriage or otherwise, to:
(1) Beg, sing, sell any article or play any musical instrument in any public place for the purpose of receiving alms.
(2) Associate with any vicious or disreputable persons, or frequent places where the same may be found.
(3) Visit any place where beverages of either high or low alcoholic content are the principal commodity sold or given away.
(4) Visit any place where any gambling device is found, or where gambling habitually occurs.
(5) Habitually trespass where it is recognized he has no right to be.
(6) Use any vile, obscene or indecent language.
(7) Perform any sexually immoral act.
(8) Absent himself or remain away, without authority of his parents or tutor, from his home or place of abode.
(9) Violate any law of the state or ordinance of any parish or village, or town or city of the state.
(10) Visit any place where sexually indecent and obscene material, of any nature, is offered for sale, displayed or exhibited.
(11)(a) Become involved in the commission of a crime of violence as defined in R.S. 14:2(B) which is a felony or a violation of the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Law which is a felony.
(b) Become involved in the commission of any other felony not enumerated in Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph.
B. Lack of knowledge of the juvenile's age shall not be a defense.
C. Whoever commits the crime of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars, or imprisoned for not more than six months, or both.
D. Whoever is charged and convicted of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile under Paragraph (7) of Subsection A of this Section shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars, or imprisoned with or without hard labor for not more than two years, or both.
E.(1) Whoever is charged and convicted of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile under Subparagraph (a) of Paragraph (11) of Subsection A of this Section shall be imprisoned at hard labor for not less than two years and for not more than ten years or imprisoned according to the sentence of imprisonment for the underlying felony, whichever is less.
(2) Whoever is charged and convicted of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile under Subparagraph (b) of Paragraph (11) of Subsection A of this Section shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned with or without hard labor for not more than two years, or both.
(3) If a parent or legal guardian of a juvenile is charged and convicted of contributing to the delinquency of the juvenile under Paragraph (11) of Subsection A of this Section and sentenced pursuant to the provisions of Paragraph (1) of this Subsection, at least one year of the sentence imposed shall be served without benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence.
(4) If a parent or legal guardian is sentenced to imprisonment pursuant to the provisions of Paragraph (2) of this Subsection, the following shall apply:
(a) If a parent or legal guardian is sentenced to imprisonment for six months or less, the sentence shall be without benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence.
(b) If a parent or legal guardian is sentence to imprisonment for more than six months, at least six months shall be without probation, parole, or suspension of sentence.
Amended by Acts 1962, No. 394, §1; Acts 1966, No. 481, §1; Acts 1966, No. 532, §1; Acts 1968, No. 486, §1; Acts 1968, No. 647, §1; Acts 1976, No. 121, §§1, 2; Acts 1993, No. 526, §1; Acts 1994, 3rd Ex. Sess., No. 74, §1; Acts 1995, No. 1290, §1; Acts 2009, No. 261, §1.