Bill seeks to protect juveniles from ‘grooming’ by sexual predators

Prosecutors may be able to charge more adults who sexually assault a 16- or 17-year-old when the adult is in a position of authority over the juvenile.

HF812 proposes to extend the definition in criminal sexual conduct statutes so that an adult in a position of authority over a 16- or 17-year-old within the past 120 days is also subject to criminal penalties for having a sexual relationship with the juvenile.

The proposed changes would affect first-, second-, third- and fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct.

Rep. Amy Wazlawik

The House Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform Finance and Policy Division laid the bill over Tuesday for possible omnibus bill inclusion. There is no Senate companion.

The expanded definition would amend current law to also criminalize criminal sexual actions by adults who are “grooming” their victims to gain their trust with the goal of later committing sexual assault, said Rep. Ami Wazlawik (DFL-White Bear Township), the bill sponsor.

The imbalance of power that makes juveniles vulnerable to these criminal adults still exists during school breaks, when a student transfers to another school or when a sports season ends, said Jeanne Ronayne, former executive director of the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault.

“Yet the current statute makes it difficult to charge or convict the teacher or coach in those situations,” she said.

The bill would also extend the definition of position of authority to cases where an adult “assumes” authority over a victim. Currently, the provision only applies when the adult is “charged” with providing some parental obligation to the juvenile.