House Bill 82 seeks to enhance the legal protections for children against sexual offenses by introducing a new crime termed "grooming of a child for a sexual offense." This offense involves a pattern of manipulative behavior aimed at coercing a child into sexual conduct or exploiting authority to form secretive relationships with minors. The bill establishes severe penalties for offenders, particularly those whose victims are under 16 years old, including life imprisonment and mandatory participation in sexual offender treatment programs. It also revises existing laws to allow law enforcement to pose as children and expands the definition of sexual abuse to include computer-generated child pornography.

In addition to creating the new offense, the bill clarifies that the belief that a child is an adult or that the perceived child is a law enforcement officer is not a valid defense in prosecutions. It imposes stringent penalties for child sex trafficking, including a mandatory 100-year prison sentence with a minimum of 25 years without parole, a $400,000 fine, and lifetime supervision upon release. The legislation also updates definitions related to sexual offenses and outlines processes for psychosexual evaluations and risk level designations for offenders. The bill is scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_1(1): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_1(2): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_1(3): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_1(4): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_1(5): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_1(6): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_1(7): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_1: 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_2(1): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_2(10): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_2(11): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_2(12): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_2(13): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_2(14): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_2(2): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_2(3): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_2(4): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_2(5): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_2(6): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_2(7): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_2(8): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_2(9): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_2: 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_3(1): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_3(10): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_3(11): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_3(12): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_3(13): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_3(2): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_3(3): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_3(4): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_3(5): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_3(6): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_3(7): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_3(8): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_3(9): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_3: 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_X(1): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_X(10): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_X(11): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_X(12): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_X(13): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_X(14): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_X(15): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_X(16): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_X(17): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_X(2): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_X(3): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_X(4): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_X(5): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_X(6): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_X(7): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_X(8): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_X(9): 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509
HB0082_X: 45-5-504, 45-5-601, 45-5-625, 45-5-711, 45-8-201, 46-23-502, 46-23-509