Ohio House Passes Bill to Clarify "Criminal Child Enticement" Offenses

Today the Ohio House of Representatives passed Substitute Senate Bill 64, legislation that prohibits under the offense of “criminal child enticement” a person from knowingly soliciting, coaxing, enticing or luring a child for an unlawful purpose.

Sub. S.B. 64 tightens the law to specify that an offender must entice a child for an unlawful purpose in order for the offense to be considered “criminal child enticement.” The legislation arose following legal challenges to the current law and complaints that the existing statute may be too broad.

“Ohio needs to have a strong, clearly defined policy when it comes to criminal child enticement offenses,” said Representative Jim Butler (R-Oakwood), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.  “Substitute Senate Bill 64 ensures the continued protection of Ohio’s children in the interim as the Supreme Court considers a pending case. I would like to thank Speaker Batchelder for bringing this important legislation up for a prompt vote in the House, and my thanks also go out to Senators Beagle and Manning, and Representative Kunze for their dedication on this issue.”

“It has been an honor to work on this legislation in the House,” said Representative Kunze, who carried the legislation in the House. “This is a common-sense update to statute, and I am proud to be a part of a bill that protects children and makes Ohio a safer place to live and raise a family.”

The House passed Sub. S.B. 64 with unanimous support.