A piece of legislation making its way through the Georgia General Assembly could make “grooming” a felony offense in the state.
House Bill 993 was introduced during the ongoing legislative session on Jan. 23. A House committee favorably reported HB 993 on Feb. 16, with substitutions.
All six sponsors of the bill — which includes District 6 state Rep. Jason Ridley, of Chatsworth — are Republican lawmakers.
The initial bill text defined “grooming” as “actions or behaviors used by an adult to establish an emotional connection with a minor to gain such minor’s trust for the eventual objective of sexual abuse, manipulation or exploitation.”
The original iteration of the bill listed online and in-person contacts as such actions and behaviors.
The revisions recommended by the Georgia House Committee on Juvenile Justice includes an entirely new code section pertaining to offenses involving minors.
“A person over the age of 18 and no less than 48 months older than the alleged victim commits the offense of grooming when such person through a pattern of activity knowingly and intentionally performs an act in person or through a third party or uses an electronic device, a computer, social media or text messages to persuade, induce, entice or coerce a minor to engage in a sexual offense (or) trafficking of persons for sexual servitude,” the text reads.
If the bill becomes law, individuals convicted of the offense would be charged with a felony subject to a sentence of one to five years in prison.
Under the committee substitute, the law would apply within and outside Georgia “if such conduct involves a minor who resides in this state or another person believed by such person to be a minor residing in this state.”
Other sponsors of the bill include District 71 state Rep. James Collins, District 30 state Rep. Derrick McCollum, District 33 state Rep. Alan Powell, District 124 state Rep. Trey Rhodes and District 18 state Rep. Tyler Smith.