SHERIDAN — A bill aimed at making explicit grooming of children illegal is headed to Gov. Mark Gordon’s desk for final approval after passing the House and Senate.
House Bill 9, “Grooming of children-offenses and amendments,” aims to make sexual grooming of minors a felony offense.
According to the National Office for Child Safety, grooming is the deliberate process an abuser uses to build a relationship, trust and emotional connection with a child for the purpose of sexual abuse or exploitation. The manipulative process often involves behaviors that, individually, may seem harmless but collectively lower a victim’s inhibitions, isolate them from support systems and ensure silence. Grooming can occur in person or online.
