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18 U.S.C. § 1591 — Sex trafficking of children or by force, fraud, or coercion

Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities

18 U.S.C. § 1591 — Sex trafficking of children or by force, fraud, or coercion

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Stable record: federal_law:legal_authorities:record_usc_5b3346dff0669fd9b2d4825d
Source file: Laws/federal/codes/united-states-code/title-18/section-1591-sex-trafficking-of-children-or-by-force-fraud-or-coercion--be2055a26f.md
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Source location: Title 18, Chapter 77, § 1591; chapter-077-peonage-slavery-and-trafficking-in-persons.md

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**(a)** Whoever knowingly— (1) in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, or within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, recruits, entices, harbors, transports, provides, obtains, advertises, maintains, patronizes, or solicits by any means a person; or (2) benefits, financially or by receiving anything of value, from participation in a venture which has engaged in an act described in violation of paragraph (1), knowing, or, except where the act constituting the violation of paragraph (1) is advertising, in reckless disregard of the fact, that means of force, threats of force, fraud, coercion described in subsection (e)(2), or any combination of such means will be used to cause the person to engage in a commercial sex act, or that the person has not attained the age of 18 years and will be caused to engage in a commercial sex act, shall be punished as provided in subsection (b). **(b)** The punishment for an offense under subsection (a) is— (1) if the offense was effected by means of force, threats of force, fraud, or coercion described in subsection (e)(2), or by any combination of such means, or if the person recruited, enticed, harbored, transported, provided, obtained, advertised, patronized, or solicited had not attained the age of 14 years at the time of such offense, by a fine under this title and imprisonment for any term of years not less than 15 or for life; or (2) if the offense was not so effected, and the person recruited, enticed, harbored, transported, provided, obtained, advertised, patronized, or solicited had attained the age of 14 years but had not attained the age of 18 years at the time of such offense, by a fine under this title and imprisonment for not less than 10 years or for life. **(c)** In a prosecution under subsection (a)(1) in which the defendant had a reasonable opportunity to observe the person so recruited, enticed, harbored, transported, provided, obtained, maintained, patronized, or solicited, the Government need not prove that the defendant knew, or recklessly disregarded the fact, that the person had not attained the age of 18 years. **(d)** Whoever obstructs, attempts to obstruct, or in any way interferes with or prevents the enforcement of this section, shall be fined under this title, imprisoned for a term not to exceed 25 years, or both. **(e)** In this section: (1) The term “abuse or threatened abuse of law or legal process” means the use or threatened use of a law or legal process, whether administrative, civil, or criminal, in any manner or for any purpose for which the law was not designed, in order to exert pressure on another person to cause that person to take some action or refrain from taking some action. (2) The term “coercion” means— (A) threats of serious harm to or physical restraint against any person; (B) any scheme, plan, or pattern intended to cause a person to believe that failure to perform an act would result in serious harm to or physical restraint against any person; or (C) the abuse or threatened abuse of law or the legal process. (3) The term “commercial sex act” means any sex act, on account of which anything of value is given to or received by any person. (4) The term “participation in a venture” means knowingly assisting, supporting, or facilitating a violation of subsection (a)(1). (5) The term “serious harm” means any harm, whether physical or nonphysical, including psychological, financial, or reputational harm, that is sufficiently serious, under all the surrounding circumstances, to compel a reasonable person of the same background and in the same circumstances to perform or to continue performing commercial sexual activity in order to avoid incurring that harm. (6) The term “venture” means any group of two or more individuals associated in fact, whether or not a legal entity.

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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities

22 U.S.C. § 7102 — Definitions

In this chapter: (1) **Abuse or threatened abuse of law or legal process** — The term “abuse or threatened abuse of the legal process” means the use or threatened use of a law or legal process, whether administrative, civil, or criminal, in any manner or for any purpose for which the law was not designed, in order to exert pressure on another person to cause that person to take some action or refrain from taking some action. (2) **Appropriate congressional committees** — The term “appropriate congressional committees” means the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives. (3) **Coercion** — The term “coercion” means— (A) threats of serious harm to or physical restraint against any person; (B) any scheme, plan, or pattern intended to cause a person to believe that failure to perform an act would result in serious harm to or physical restraint against any person; or (C) the abuse or threatened abuse of the legal process. (4) **Commercial sex act** — The term “commercial sex act” means any sex act on account of which anything of value is given to or received by any person. (5) **Concrete actions** — The term “concrete actions” means actions that demonstrate increased efforts by the government of a country to meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, including any of the following: (A) Enforcement actions taken. (B) Investigations actively underway. (C) Prosecutions conducted. (D) Convictions attained. (E) Training provided. (F) Programs and partnerships actively underway. (G) Efforts to prevent severe forms of trafficking, including programs to reduce the vulnerability of particul

Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 22 U.S.C. § 7102

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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities

18 U.S.C. § 1 — Repealed. Pub. L. 98–473, title II, § 218(a)(1), Oct. 12, 1984, 98 Stat. 2027]

### Statutory Notes Section, acts June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 684; Oct. 30, 1984, Pub. L. 98–596, § 8, 98 Stat. 3138, classified offenses as a felony, misdemeanor, or petty offense. #### Effective Date of Repeal Repeal of section effective Nov. 1, 1987, and applicable only to offenses committed after the taking effect of such repeal, see section 235(a)(1) of Pub. L. 98–473, set out as an Effective Date note under [section 3551 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title18-section3551&num=0&edition=prelim). #### Short Title of 2026 Amendment Pub. L. 119–73, § 1, Jan. 23, 2026, 139 Stat. 2003, provided that: “This Act [enacting sections 28 and 3771A of this title, amending [section 7102 of Title 22](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title22-section7102&num=0&edition=prelim), Foreign Relations and Intercourse, and enacting provisions set out as notes under [section 28 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title18-section28&num=0&edition=prelim) and [section 10110 of Title 34](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title34-section10110&num=0&edition=prelim), Crime Control and Law Enforcement] may be cited as the ‘Trafficking Survivors Relief Act’.” #### Short Title of 2024 Amendment Pub. L. 118–78, § 1, July 30, 2024, 138 Stat. 1512, provided that: “This Act [enacting [section 1352 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title18-section1352&num=0&edition=prelim) and amending [section 201 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title18-section201&num=0&edition=prelim)] may be cited as the ‘Foreign Extortion Prevention Technical Corrections Act’.” Pub. L. 118–77, § 1, July

Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 18 U.S.C. § 1

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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities

34 U.S.C. § 12301 — Definitions and grant provisions

**(a) Definitions** In this subchapter, for the purpose of grants authorized under this subchapter: (1) **Abuse in later life** — The term “abuse in later life”— (A) means— (i) neglect, abandonment, economic abuse, or willful harm of an adult aged 50 or older by an individual in an ongoing relationship of trust with the victim; or (ii) domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking of an adult aged 50 or older by any individual; and (B) does not include self-neglect. (2) **Alaska Native village** — The term “Alaska Native village” has the same meaning given such term in the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act ([43 U.S.C. 1601](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title43-section1601&num=0&edition=prelim) et seq.). (3) **Child abuse and neglect** — The term “child abuse and neglect” means any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caregiver with intent to cause death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse, or exploitation, or an act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm to an unemancipated minor. This definition shall not be construed to mean that failure to leave an abusive relationship, in the absence of other action constituting abuse or neglect, is itself abuse or neglect. (4) **Child maltreatment** — The term “child maltreatment” means the physical or psychological abuse or neglect of a child or youth, including sexual assault and abuse. (5) **Community-based organization** — The term “community-based organization” means a nonprofit, nongovernmental, or tribal organization that serves a specific geographic community that— (A) focuses primarily on domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking; (B) has established a specialized

Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 34 U.S.C. § 12301

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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities

34 U.S.C. § 20914 — Relevant definitions, including Amie Zyla expansion of sex offender definition and expanded inclusion of child predators

In this subchapter the following definitions apply: (1) **Sex offender** — The term “sex offender” means an individual who was convicted of a sex offense. (2) **Tier I sex offender** — The term “tier I sex offender” means a sex offender other than a tier II or tier III sex offender. (3) **Tier II sex offender** — The term “tier II sex offender” means a sex offender other than a tier III sex offender whose offense is punishable by imprisonment for more than 1 year and— (A) is comparable to or more severe than the following offenses, when committed against a minor, or an attempt or conspiracy to commit such an offense against a minor: (i) sex trafficking (as described in [section 1591 of title 18](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title18-section1591&num=0&edition=prelim)); (ii) coercion and enticement (as described in [section 2422(b) of title 18](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title18-section2422/b&num=0&edition=prelim)); (iii) transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity (as described in section 2423(a)) 11 So in original. The second closing parenthesis probably should follow “18”. of title 18; (iv) abusive sexual contact (as described in [section 2244 of title 18](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title18-section2244&num=0&edition=prelim)); (B) involves— (i) use of a minor in a sexual performance; (ii) solicitation of a minor to practice prostitution; or (iii) production or distribution of child pornography; or (C) occurs after the offender becomes a tier I sex offender. (4) **Tier III sex offender** — The term “tier III sex offender” means a sex offender whose offense is punishable by imprisonment for more than 1 year

Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 34 U.S.C. § 20914

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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities

47 U.S.C. § 230 — Protection for private blocking and screening of offensive material

**(a) Findings** The Congress finds the following: (1) The rapidly developing array of Internet and other interactive computer services available to individual Americans represent an extraordinary advance in the availability of educational and informational resources to our citizens. (2) These services offer users a great degree of control over the information that they receive, as well as the potential for even greater control in the future as technology develops. (3) The Internet and other interactive computer services offer a forum for a true diversity of political discourse, unique opportunities for cultural development, and myriad avenues for intellectual activity. (4) The Internet and other interactive computer services have flourished, to the benefit of all Americans, with a minimum of government regulation. (5) Increasingly Americans are relying on interactive media for a variety of political, educational, cultural, and entertainment services. **(b) Policy** It is the policy of the United States— (1) to promote the continued development of the Internet and other interactive computer services and other interactive media; (2) to preserve the vibrant and competitive free market that presently exists for the Internet and other interactive computer services, unfettered by Federal or State regulation; (3) to encourage the development of technologies which maximize user control over what information is received by individuals, families, and schools who use the Internet and other interactive computer services; (4) to remove disincentives for the development and utilization of blocking and filtering technologies that empower parents to restrict their children’s access to objectionable or inappropriate online material; and (5) to ensure vigorous enforcement of

Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 47 U.S.C. § 230

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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities

18 U.S.C. § 1591 — Sex trafficking of children or by force,

Page 412 TITLE 18—CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE § 1590 (1) by means of force, threats of force, phys- ical restraint, or threats of physical restraint to that person or another person; (2) by means of serious harm or threats of se- rious harm to that person or another person; (3) by means of the abuse or threatened abuse of law or legal process; or (4) by means of any scheme, plan, or pattern intended to cause the person to believe that, if that person did not perform such labor or serv- ices, that person or another person would suf- fer serious harm or physical restraint, shall be punished as provided under subsection (d). (b) Whoever knowingly benefits, financially or by receiving anything of value, from participa- tion in a venture which has engaged in the pro- viding or obtaining of labor or services by any of the means described in subsection (a), knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that the ven- ture has engaged in the providing or obtaining of labor or services by any of such means, shall be punished as provided in subsection (d). (c) In this section: (1) The term ‘‘abuse or threatened abuse of law or legal process’’ means the use or threat- ened use of a law or legal process, whether ad- ministrative, civil, or criminal, in any manner or for any purpose for which the law was not designed, in order to exert pressure on another person to cause that person to take some ac- tion or refrain from taking some action. (2) The term ‘‘serious harm’’ means any harm, whether physical or nonphysical, in- cluding psychological, financial, or reputational harm, that is sufficiently serious, under all the surrounding circumstances, to compel a reasonable person of the same back- ground and in the same circumstances to per- form or to continu

Source: Supplied 2024 U.S. Code historical extraction · 18 U.S.C. § 1591

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