{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-510.160","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 510.160","heading":"Grooming a minor.","body":"(1) A person is guilty of grooming a minor when:\n(a) Being eighteen (18) years of age or older, he or she engages in grooming\nbehavior directed at a minor who is under fourteen (14) years old with the\nintent to entice, coerce, solicit, or induce the minor to engage in sexual\nconduct with the person or another person; or\n(b) Being a person in a position of authority or position of special trust, as those\nterms are defined in KRS 532.045, he or she engages in grooming behavior\ndirected at a minor who is under eighteen (18) years old with the intent to:\n1. Entice, coerce, solicit, or induce the minor to engage in sexual conduct\nwith the person or another person; or\n2. Develop an intimate or secretive relationship with the minor.\n(2) (a) For a violation of subsection (1)(a) of this section, grooming a minor is a\nClass A misdemeanor unless the minor is under twelve (12) years old, in\nwhich case it is a Class D felony.\n(b) For a violation of subsection (1)(b) of this section, grooming a minor is a\nClass D felony unless the minor is under twelve (12) years old, in whi ch case\nit is a Class C felony.\n(c) Any sentence imposed on a defendant under this section shall run\nconcurrently with an y sentence imposed for an offense specified in this\nchapter arising from the same course of conduct with the same victim.\n(3) This section shall not be construed to prevent a person from communicating with a\nminor for any lawful or legitimate purpose, including but not limited to:\n(a) Teaching curriculum on human sexuality or sexually transmitted diseases as\nprovided in KRS 158.1415;\n(b) The use of a traceable communication system by a school district employee or\nvolunteer as provided in KRS 160.145;\n(c) The diagnosis or treatment of a minor by a health care provider in a health\ncare facility;\n(d) Communicating with a minor to determine if the minor is dependent,\nneglected, or abused;\n(e) Age-appropriate conversations about puberty and human sexuality with a\nminor by the minor's sibling or parent or guardian; and\n(f) Any conversation with a minor that is part of a person's job -related or\nvolunteer-related duties.","path":["KRS Chapter 510"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=57422","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T21:00:01Z","sha256":"72a47c4388a039e0825538d9c9cf7c813614848b382752d6a2de58a5bf00fac9","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-510.155","next":"us-ky/krs-510.300"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}