Child enticement provisions could change

The Judiciary Committee heard testimony March 10 on a bill that would change provisions of the state’s criminal child enticement law.

Under LB665, introduced by Sen. Pete Pirsch of Omaha, a person could not solicit, coax, entice, lure or attempt to solicit, coax, entice or lure any child under the age of 14 to enter a place intending to seclude him or her from a parent, guardian, legal custodian or the general public, whether or not the person knows the age of the child.

Current law only prohibits luring a child into a vehicle.

A person who violates the bill could be guilty of a Class IIIA felony. If such person previously has been convicted of criminal child enticement, assault or sexual assault of a child, kidnapping or false imprisonment of a victim younger than 18, he or she could be guilty of a Class III felony.

This bill seeks to prevent people from enticing children away from guardians or the general public, Pirsch said, adding that enticement is a danger that exists in our community.

“I am not sure that there is a greater fear that a parent has than their children coming up missing,” Pirsch said.

Marty Conboy of the Nebraska County Attorneys Association testified in support of the bill, saying three local instances of child enticement have occurred in the past year.

Conboy described an Omaha case involving a man who attempted to entice two young girls into nearby bushes. Because he had not attempted to lure them into a vehicle, he said, police could not charge the man with child enticement.

No opposition testimony was given and the committee took no immediate action on the bill.