568.045. Endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree, penalties. - Missouri Statutes

Endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree, penalties.

568.045. 1. A person commits the crime of endangering the welfare ofa child in the first degree if:

(1) The person knowingly acts in a manner that creates a substantialrisk to the life, body, or health of a child less than seventeen years old;or

(2) The person knowingly engages in sexual conduct with a personunder the age of seventeen years over whom the person is a parent,guardian, or otherwise charged with the care and custody;

(3) The person knowingly encourages, aids or causes a child less thanseventeen years of age to engage in any conduct which violates theprovisions of chapter 195, RSMo;

(4) Such person enlists the aid, either through payment or coercion,of a person less than seventeen years of age to unlawfully manufacture,compound, produce, prepare, sell, transport, test or analyze amphetamine ormethamphetamine or any of their analogues, or to obtain any material usedto manufacture, compound, produce, prepare, test or analyze amphetamine ormethamphetamine or any of their analogues; or

(5) Such person, in the presence of a person less than seventeenyears of age or in a residence where a person less than seventeen years ofage resides, unlawfully manufactures, or attempts to manufacture compounds,possesses, produces, prepares, sells, transports, tests or analyzesamphetamine or methamphetamine or any of their analogues.

2. Endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree is a classC felony unless the offense is committed as part of a ritual or ceremony,or except on a second or subsequent offense, in which case the crime is aclass B felony.

3. This section shall be known as "Hope's Law".

(L. 1990 H.B. 1370, et al., A.L. 1994 S.B. 693, A.L. 1998 H.B. 1147, et al., A.L. 2003 S.B. 5, A.L. 2005 H.B. 353, A.L. 2009 H.B. 62)