Bill that makes child grooming a felony passes in Arizona House
The Arizona House of Representatives passed a bill to classify grooming children as a criminal offense.
The bill would make it a felony to lure or seduce a minor, whether it’s in person or using electronic devices or written communications.
Rep. Travis Grantham (R-Gilbert) said the bill was inspired by a situation in his district in which a coach maintained an inappropriate relationship with a minor. Grantham told lawmakers that the relationship did not violate existing state law but did include inappropriate touching and text messages of a sexual nature.
“Stalking didn’t cover it. Harassment didn’t cover it. Prosecutors said there’s nothing we can do about it,” Grantham told lawmakers during a committee hearing on the bill.
The bill passed the House on a 44-11 vote with bipartisan support, but some Democrats opposed the measure, arguing it was overly broad and contained ambiguous language that could have unintended consequences.
Rep. Nancy Gutierrez (D-Tucson) said she fears the provision criminalizing the distribution of photos with sex organs could implicate materials with educational value, like photos of Michelangelo’s David, or sex education courses.
“I feel that this could criminalize that, and our students need that education,” Gutierrez said.
The bill must pass through the Arizona Senate and receive Gov. Katie Hobbs’ approval before it can become state law.
