Chapter 948 — CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN

948.01 Definitions. In this chapter, the following words and phrases have the designated meanings unless the context of a specific section manifestly requires a different construction: (1) “Child” means a person who has not attained the age of 18 years, except that for purposes o…

948.015 Other offenses against children. In addition to the offenses under this chapter, offenses against children include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) Sections 103.21 to 103.31 and 103.64 to 103.82, relating to the employment of minors. (2) Section 118.13, relatin…

948.02 (1) (am), (b), or (c). (c) If an action under sub. (1) (c) is tried to a jury, in order to find the defendant guilty the members of the jury must unanimously agree that at least 3 violations of s. 948.02 (1) (am), (b), (c), or (d) occurred within the specified period of ti…

948.025 Engaging in repeated acts of sexual assault of the same child. (1) Whoever commits 3 or more violations under s. 948.02 (1) or (2) within a specified period of time involving the same child is guilty of: (a) A Class A felony if at least 3 of the violations were violations…

948.03 Physical abuse of a child. (1) DEFINITIONS. In this section, “recklessly” means conduct which creates a situation of unreasonable risk of harm to and demonstrates a conscious disregard for the safety of the child. (2) INTENTIONAL CAUSATION OF BODILY HARM. (a) Whoever inten…

948.04 Causing mental harm to a child. (1) Whoever is exercising temporary or permanent control of a child and causes mental harm to that child by conduct which demonstrates substantial disregard for the mental well-being of the child is guilty of a Class F felony. (2) A person r…

948.05 Sexual exploitation of a child. (1) Whoever does any of the following with knowledge of the character and content of the sexually explicit conduct involving the child may be penalized under sub. (2p): (a) Employs, uses, persuades, induces, entices, or coerces any child to …

948.051 Trafficking of a child. (1) Whoever knowingly recruits, entices, provides, obtains, harbors, transports, patronizes, or solicits or knowingly attempts to recruit, entice, provide, May 22, 2026, are designated by NOTES. (Published 5-22-26) 5 Updated 23-24 Wis. Stats. obtai…

948.055 Causing a child to view or listen to sexual activity. (1) Whoever intentionally causes a child who has not attained 18 years of age, or an individual who the actor believes or has reason to believe has not attained 18 years of age, to view or listen to sexually explicit c…

948.06 Incest with a child. Whoever does any of the following is guilty of a Class C felony: (1) Marries or has sexual intercourse or sexual contact with a child he or she knows is related, either by blood or adoption, and the child is related in a degree of kinship closer than 2…

948.07 Child enticement. Whoever, with intent to commit any of the following acts, causes or attempts to cause any child who has not attained the age of 18 years to go into any vehicle, building, room or secluded place is guilty of a Class D felony: (1) Having sexual contact or s…

948.072 Grooming of a child for sexual activity. (1) In this section, “position of trust or authority over the child” means a relationship between a person and a child in which the person has regular and direct contact with the child and power or control over the child’s welfare,…

948.075 Use of a computer to facilitate a child sex crime. (1r) Whoever uses a computerized communication system to communicate with an individual who the actor believes or has reason to believe has not attained the age of 16 years with intent to have sexual contact or sexual int…

948.08 Soliciting a child for prostitution. Whoever intentionally solicits or causes any child to engage in an act of prostitution or establishes any child in a place of prostitution is guilty of a Class D felony. History: 1987 a. 332; 1995 a. 69; 2001 a. 109; 2007 a. 80. Althoug…

948.081 Patronizing a child. An actor who enters or remains in any place of prostitution with intent to have nonmarital sexual intercourse or to commit an act of sexual gratification, in public or in private, involving the sex organ of one person and the mouth or anus of another,…

948.085 Sexual assault of a child placed in substitute care. Whoever does any of the following is guilty of a Class C felony: (1) Has sexual contact or sexual intercourse with a child for whom the actor is a foster parent. (2) Has sexual contact or sexual intercourse with a child…

948.09 Sexual intercourse with a child age 16 or older. Whoever has sexual intercourse with a child who is not the defendant’s spouse and who has attained the age of 16 years is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor if the defendant has attained the age of 19 years when the violation o…

948.093 Underage sexual activity. Whoever has sexual contact with a child who has attained the age of 15 years but has not attained the age of 16 years, or whoever has sexual intercourse with a child who has attained the age of 15 years, is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor if the …

948.095 Sexual assault of a child by a school staff person or a person who works or volunteers with children. (1) In this section: (a) “School” means a public or private elementary or secondary school, or a tribal school, as defined in s. 115.001 (15m). (b) “School staff” means a…

948.098 Sexual misconduct by a school staff person or volunteer. (1) In this section: (a) “Physical contact of a sexual nature” means any of the following types of intentional touching, whether direct or through clothing: 1. Intentional touching by the actor or, upon the actor’s …

948.10 Exposing genitals, pubic area, or intimate parts. (1) Whoever, for purposes of sexual arousal or sexual gratification, causes a child to expose genitals, pubic area, or intimate parts or exposes genitals, pubic area, or intimate parts to a child is guilty of the following:…

948.11 Exposing a child to harmful material or harmful descriptions or narrations. (1) DEFINITIONS. In this section: (ag) “Harmful description or narrative account” means any explicit and detailed description or narrative account of sexual excitement, sexually explicit conduct, s…

948.12 Possession of child pornography. (1m) Whoever possesses, or accesses in any way with the intent to view, any undeveloped film, photographic negative, photograph, motion picture, videotape, or other recording of a child engaged in sexually explicit conduct under all of the …

948.125 Possession of virtual child pornography. (1) DEFINITIONS. In this section: (a) “Depiction of a purported child” means a visual representation that appears to depict an actual child but may or may not depict an actual child. (b) “Obscene material” means a photograph, film,…

948.13 Child sex offender working with children. (1) In this section, “serious child sex offense” means any of the following: (a) A crime under s. 940.22 (2) or 940.225 (2) (c) or (cm), if the victim is under 18 years of age at the time of the offense, a crime under s. 940.302 (2…

948.14 Registered sex offender and photographing minors. (1) DEFINITIONS. In this section: (a) “Captures a representation” has the meaning given in s. 942.09 (1) (a). (b) “Minor” means an individual who is under 17 years of age. (c) “Representation” has the meaning giving in s. 9…

948.20 Abandonment of a child. Whoever, with intent to abandon the child, leaves any child in a place where the child may suffer because of neglect is guilty of a Class G felony. History: 1977 c. 173; 1987 a. 332 s. 35; Stats. 1987 s. 948.20; 2001 a. 109.

948.21 Neglecting a child. (1) DEFINITIONS. In this section: (a) “Child sex offense” means an offense under s. 948.02, 948.025, 948.05, 948.051, 948.055, 948.06, 948.07, 948.072, 948.08, 948.10, 948.11, or 948.12. (b) “Emotional damage” has the meaning given in s. 48.02 (5j). (c)…

948.215 Chronic neglect; repeated acts of neglect. (1) Whoever violates s. 948.21 (2) is guilty of chronic neglect and may be penalized as provided in sub. (2) if one of the following applies: (a) The person commits 3 or more violations under s. 948.21 (2) within a specified peri…

948.22 Failure to support. (1) In this section: (a) “Child support” means an amount which a person is ordered to provide for support of a child by a court of competent jurisdiction in this state or in another state, territory or possession of the United States, or, if not ordered…

948.23 Concealing or not reporting death of a child; not reporting disappearance of a child. (1) Whoever does any of the following is guilty of a Class I felony: (a) Conceals the corpse of any issue of a woman’s body with intent to prevent a determination of whether it was born d…

948.24 Unauthorized placement for adoption. (1) Whoever does any of the following is guilty of a Class H felony: (a) Places or agrees to place his or her child for adoption for anything exceeding the actual cost of the items listed in s. 48.913 (1) (a) to (m) and the payments aut…

948.25 Unauthorized interstate placements of children. (1) Any person who sends a child out of this state, brings a child into this state, or causes a child to be sent out of this state or brought into this state for the purpose of permanently transferring physical custody of the…

948.30 Abduction of another’s child; constructive custody. (1) Any person who, for any unlawful purpose, does any of the following is guilty of a Class E felony: (a) Takes a child who is not his or her own by birth or adoption from the child’s home or the custody of his or her pa…

948.31 Interference with custody by parent or others. (1) (a) In this subsection, “legal custodian of a child” means: 1. A parent or other person having legal custody of the child under an order or judgment in an action for divorce, legal separation, annulment, child custody, pat…

948.40 Contributing to the delinquency of a child. (1) No person may intentionally encourage or contribute to the delinquency of a child. This subsection includes intentionally encouraging or contributing to an act by a child under the age of 10 which would be a delinquent act if…

948.45 Contributing to truancy. (1) Except as provided in sub. (2), any person 17 years of age or older who, by any act or omission, knowingly encourages or contributes to the truancy, as defined under s. 118.16 (1) (c), of a person 17 years of age or under is guilty of a Class C…

948.50 Strip search by school employee. (1) The legislature intends, by enacting this section, to protect pupils from being strip searched. By limiting the coverage of this section, the legislature is not condoning the use of strip searches under other circumstances. (2) In this …

948.51 Hazing. (1) In this section “forced activity” means any activity which is a condition of initiation or admission into or affiliation with an organization, regardless of a student’s willingness to participate in the activity. (2) No person may intentionally or recklessly en…

948.53 Child unattended in child care vehicle. (1) DEFINITIONS. In this section: (a) “Child care provider” means a child care center that is licensed under s. 48.65 (1), a child care provider that is certified under s. 48.651, or a child care program that is established or contra…

948.55 Leaving or storing a loaded firearm within the reach or easy access of a child. (1) In this section, “child” means a person who has not attained the age of 14 years. (2) Whoever recklessly stores or leaves a loaded firearm within the reach or easy access of a child is guil…

948.60 Possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under 18. (1) In this section, “dangerous weapon” means any firearm, loaded or unloaded; any electric weapon, as defined in s. 941.295 (1c) (a); metallic knuckles or knuckles of any substance which could be put to the same use w…

948.605 Gun-free school zones. (1) DEFINITIONS. In this section: (a) “Encased” has the meaning given in s. 167.31 (1) (b). (ac) “Firearm” does not include any beebee or pellet-firing gun that expels a projectile through the force of air pressure or any starter pistol. (ag) “Forme…

948.61 Dangerous weapons other than firearms on school premises. (1) In this section: (a) “Dangerous weapon” has the meaning specified in s. 939.22 (10), except “dangerous weapon” does not include any firearm and does include any beebee or pellet-firing gun that expels a projecti…

948.62 Receiving stolen property from a child. (1) Whoever intentionally receives stolen property from a child or conceals stolen property received from a child is guilty of: (a) A Class A misdemeanor, if the value of the property does not exceed $500. (b) A Class I felony, if th…

948.63 Receiving property from a child. Whoever does either of the following is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor: (1) As a dealer in secondhand articles or jewelry or junk, purchases any personal property, except old rags and waste paper, from any child, without the written consen…

948.70 Tattooing of children. (1) In this section: (a) “Physician” has the meaning given in s. 448.01 (5). (b) “Tattoo” means to insert pigment under the surface of the skin of a person, by pricking with a needle or otherwise, so as to produce an indelible mark or figure through …