September 24, 2025 | Sex Crimes
Online solicitation of a minor is a serious criminal offense that a defendant can face in Kentucky. This law makes it illegal to use technology in an attempt to engage a child in any kind of sexual activity. You can get in trouble for this crime if you send messages or make contact using a phone, computer, social media site, gaming chat, or any similar device.
Who Counts as a “Minor”?
A “minor” under Kentucky law means anyone under 18 years old. However, it doesn’t always have to be a real child. Sometimes, police officers pretend to be teenagers online to catch predators. You can also be charged if you talk to an adult whom you believe is arranging the meeting for a minor.
The person on the other end of the keyboard might be an undercover detective, but that does not matter for the charge – the focus is on your belief and actions.
No Need for an Actual Meeting
This crime is about the messages themselves. Even if you never meet up in person, making those arrangements in writing is considered completing the crime. Just sending the wrong kind of message, even once, is enough to face this very serious charge.
Penalties and Enhancements for Online Solicitation of a Minor in Kentucky
If you are convicted of online solicitation of a minor in Kentucky, you face heavy consequences that reach beyond prison. Understanding these penalties and when they become harsher can help you see how seriously the law treats these cases.
Base Penalty: Class C Felony
Online solicitation of a minor is charged at a minimum as a Class C felony. The prison sentence for a Class C felony ranges from 5 to 10 years. This range is standard unless certain aggravating factors come up.
Enhancements: Class B Felony and Increased Prison Time
The penalties grow even tougher under specific circumstances. The charge jumps to a Class B felony, which brings 10 to 20 years in prison, if any of these are true:
- The child is under 12 years old
- The defendant holds a position of trust or authority over the child
- The defendant was supposed to register as a sex offender already
- The defendant traveled to Kentucky to commit the crime
- There is any commercial sex activity as part of the crime
These enhancements kick in when the offense is especially serious or the defendant has prior connections to similar crimes.
Multiple Violations
The law counts each day of knowing online contact as a separate crime. This makes it possible for people accused of ongoing communication to face several separate charges, stacking up even more time.
Sex Offender Registration
If you’re convicted, you’ll almost certainly be put on the state’s sex offender registry. How long you must stay on the list depends on the details, but it is often 20 years, and sometimes for the rest of your life.
Registration brings restrictions, like where you can live or work, what jobs you can have, and which parts of the internet you’re allowed to use. Supervision can stretch for many years after release.
Immigration Consequences
Solicitation of a minor is considered a very serious crime under U.S. immigration law. Almost always, a conviction for this offense will put a non-citizen at very high risk of being deported. Immigration authorities treat this kind of charge as a crime involving moral turpitude or an aggravated felony.
These types of crimes can trigger removal from the United States.
Reach Out to a Criminal Defense Attorney for Help
If you’re facing online solicitation of a minor charges, you don’t need to assume your life is over. There are ways to fight back. Suhre & Associates DUI and Criminal Defense Lawyers is ready to listen–your conversation will remain private and judgment-free.
Call us today to schedule a consultation with a sex crimes defense lawyer.
For more information, contact the sex crimes attorneys at Suhre & Associates DUI and Criminal Defense Lawyers. Call us today at (859) 569-4014 or visit our Lexington law office.
Suhre & Associates DUI and Criminal Defense Lawyers – Lexington
333 West Vine Street #212,
Lexington, KY 40507
(859) 569-4014