Employment Harmful to Children in Texas
The general Employment Harmful to Children Law and full text can be found in section 43.251 of the Texas Penal Code.
You can be charged with Employment Harmful to Children in Texas if you employ, authorize, or induce a child to work in a sexually orientated commercial activity or in any place of business permitting, requesting, or requiring a child to work nude or topless.
A charge of Employment Harmful to Children is a 2nd Degree Felony (See Below). However, it is a 1st Degree Felony if the child is younger than 14 at the time of the offense (regardless if you knew their actual age).
Range of Punishments for Employment Harmful to Children
- 2nd Degree Felony – The range of punishment is 2-20 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000
- 1st Degree Felony – The range of punishment is 5-99 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000
What to do if you are charged with Employment Harmful to Children?
With undercover busts getting more and more frequent, an employment harmful to children charge is popping up more and more. Typically, employees of strip clubs or massage parlors are charged for having underaged children working for them.
If you are charged with this type of case, you could be looking at serious prison time. You need someone who has experience, someone willing to listen to you, and someone willing to protect you. I will be happy to sit down and talk to you. My goal is to always get you the best possible result. Sometimes that is a dismissal, sometimes it is a Not Guilty verdict, and other times it is the least amount of time possible.