PL 260.10 · Article 260
Endangering the Welfare of a Child
This charge applies when you knowingly act in a way likely to injure the physical, mental or moral welfare of a child under seventeen, or when a parent or guardian fails to exercise reasonable diligence to keep a child under eighteen from becoming abused, neglected, delinquent or in need of supervision.
Has your loved one been arrested or taken into police custody?
Text us immediately · (845) 290-2492What the prosecutor must prove
- The person involved was a child under the age the statute specifies.
- You knowingly acted in a manner likely to be injurious to that child's physical, mental or moral welfare — or, as a parent or guardian, failed to exercise reasonable diligence.
Defenses that commonly apply
- You did not act knowingly.
- The conduct was not likely to be injurious to the child's welfare.
- The age element is not satisfied.
- The allegation rests on a disputed family-court account.
Penalties and collateral consequences
A Class A Misdemeanor carries a maximum sentence of up to 364 days and a fine of up to Up to $1,000.
This charge frequently runs alongside a Family Court neglect or person-in-need-of-supervision case. What you say in one forum can be used in the other, so both should be handled together.
Every case turns on its own facts. The information on this page is general, not legal advice.
Related charges
Related practice areas
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