§ 22–3010.01. Misdemeanor sexual abuse of a child or minor.

*NOTE: This section includes amendments by emergency legislation that will expire on June 9, 2024. To view the text of this section after the expiration of all emergency and temporary legislation, click this link: Permanent Version.*

(a) Whoever, being 18 years of age or older and more than 4 years older than a child, or being 18 years of age or older and being in a significant relationship with a minor, engages in sexually suggestive conduct with that child or minor shall be imprisoned for not more than 180 days, or fined not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01, or both.

(a-1)(1) A person convicted of misdemeanor sexual abuse of a child or minor who has 3 or more prior convictions for misdemeanor sexual abuse of a child or minor shall be fined no more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01, or incarcerated for no more than 3 years, or both.

(2) In addition to a violation of this section, a person shall be considered as having prior convictions for misdemeanor sexual abuse of a child or minor if that person has been previously convicted of a violation of a crime under the laws of any other jurisdiction that involved conduct that would, if committed in the District of Columbia, constitute a violation of this section, or conduct that is substantially similar to conduct prosecuted under this section.

(b) For the purposes of this section, the term “sexually suggestive conduct” means engaging in any of the following acts in a way which is intended to cause or reasonably causes the sexual arousal or sexual gratification of any person:

(1) Touching a child or minor inside his or her clothing;

(2) Touching a child or minor inside or outside his or her clothing close to the genitalia, anus, breast, or buttocks;

(3) Placing one’s tongue in the mouth of the child or minor; or

(4) Touching one’s own genitalia or that of a third person.

(May 23, 1995, D.C. Law 10-257, § 209a; as added Apr. 24, 2007, D.C. Law 16-306, § 216(e), 53 DCR 8610; June 11, 2013, D.C. Law 19-317, § 232(m), 60 DCR 2064; Mar. 11, 2024, D.C. Act 25-410, § 16(c), 71 DCR 2693.)

Section References

This section is referenced in § 22-4151 and § 23-581.

Effect of Amendments

The 2013 amendment by D.C. Law 19-317 substituted “not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01” for “in an amount not to exceed $1,000” in (a).

Emergency Legislation

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 16(c) of Secure DC Omnibus Emergency Amendment Act of 2024 (D.C. Act 25-410, Mar. 11, 2024, 71 DCR 2693).

For temporary (90 day) addition, see § 216(e) of Omnibus Public Safety Emergency Amendment Act of 2006 (D.C. Act 16-445, July 19, 2006, 53 DCR 6443).

For temporary (90 day) addition, see § 216(e) of Omnibus Public Safety Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2006 (D.C. Act 16-490, October 18, 2006, 53 DCR 8686).

For temporary (90 day) addition, see § 216(e) of Omnibus Public Safety Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2007 (D.C. Act 17-10, January 16, 2007, 54 DCR 1479).

For temporary (90 day) addition, see § 216(e) of Omnibus Public Safety Second Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2007 (D.C. Act 17-25, April 19, 2007, 54 DCR 4036).

For temporary (90 day) addition of section, see § 511(a) of Public Safety Legislation Sixty-Day Layover Emergency Amendment Act of 2010 (D.C. Act 18-693, January 18, 2011, 58 DCR 640).

For temporary (90 day) addition of section, see § 511(a) of Public Safety Legislation Sixty-Day Layover Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2011 (D.C. Act 19-45, April 20, 2011, 58 DCR 3701).

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 232(m) of the Criminal Fine Proportionality Emergency Act of 2013 (D.C. Act 20-45, April 1, 2013, 60 DCR 5400, 20 DCSTAT 1300).

Editor's Notes

Applicability of D.C. Law 19-317: Section 401 of D.C. Law 19-317 provided that the act shall apply only to offenses committed on or after June 11, 2013.