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Can a family member be charged with harboring a runaway?
This is where it gets tricky! Allowing a minor who has run away from home to stay in your house without alerting the police and their parents, is illegal. You could be charged with Harboring a Runaway (also called Aiding and Abetting), or Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor.
What is the sentence for harboring a runaway?
It’s generally illegal to do this with knowledge about the crime and an intent to hide the fugitive from the law. The exact penalties vary from state to state but if convicted, a person who harbored a fugitive could receive a minimum one-year prison sentence and fines.
What to do with a child that runs away?
Here’s what to do if your child has run away from home.
- Call the Police Immediately. As soon as you learn that your child has run away, report them as missing to your local police.
- Ask Police to Enter Your Child Into the NCIC.
- Call Child Find of America.
- Spread The Word.
- When They Return Home, Address the Problem.
What happens if you run away from home as a child?
In most states, running away is not a crime; however, runaways and their parents or guardians can face legal consequences. Adults who encourage or hide runaways can be charged with a crime. Parents are legally responsible for caring for their minor children, even when the child is not living at home.
What happens if you help a runaway minor?
The penalties for helping a runaway are striking. A person who is convicted of the offense could be sentenced to incarceration in jail for up to a year and a fine of up to $2,500. A person may avoid criminal consequences for housing a runaway minor if:
Can a person avoid criminal consequences for housing a runaway?
A person may avoid criminal consequences for housing a runaway minor if: 1 He or she has consent from the minor’s parents or guardians to shelter the child 2 The minor has a spouse (is legally married) 3 The individual has notified local law enforcement of his or her intentions to house the minor and provided the minor’s name
Is it illegal to hide a runaway from your parents?
Most states have laws against “harboring” runaways. These laws make it a crime for adults to encourage minors to run away, or to hide runaways from their parents or legal guardians. For example, an adult cannot: lie to a runaway’s parents or the authorities about the runaway’s location.