R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-9-2: Employment of children for unlawful purposes.

Every person who shall take, receive, hire, employ, exhibit, or have in custody, or who shall cause to be taken, hired, employed, exhibited, or held in custody, any child under the age of sixteen (16) years, for any of the purposes prohibited in § 11-9-1, shall be held guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall be punished for every such offense in the manner provided in that section.