Missouri Laws 575.159 – Aiding a sexual offender — applicability of section — penalty
1. A person commits the offense of aiding a sexual offender if he or she knows that another person is a convicted sexual offender who is required to register as a sexual offender and has reason to believe that such sexual offender is not complying, or has not complied with the requirements of sections 589.400 to 589.425, and who, with the intent to assist the sexual offender in eluding a law enforcement agency that is seeking to find the sexual offender to question the offender about, or to arrest the offender for, his or her noncompliance with the requirements of sections 589.400 to 589.425:
(1) Withholds information from or does not notify the law enforcement agency about the sexual offender’s noncompliance with the requirements of sections 589.400 to 589.425, and, if known, the whereabouts of the sexual offender;
Attorney's Note
Under the Missouri Laws, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Class E felony | up to 4 years | up to $10,000 |
Terms Used In Missouri Laws 575.159
- Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
- person: may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, and to partnerships and other unincorporated associations. See Missouri Laws 1.020
- State: when applied to any of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" includes such district and territories. See Missouri Laws 1.020
(2) Harbors or attempts to harbor or assists another person in harboring or attempting to harbor the sexual offender;
(3) Conceals or attempts to conceal or assists another person in concealing or attempting to conceal the sexual offender; or
(4) Provides information to the law enforcement agency regarding the sexual offender which he or she knows to be false information.
2. The provisions of this section do not apply if the sexual offender is incarcerated in, or is in the custody of, a state correctional facility, a private correctional facility, a local jail, or a federal correctional facility.
3. The offense of aiding a sexual offender is a class E felony.