republic-os/legal/us/code/title-18/chapter-109a/section-2244.md

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LegalText	18 U.S.C. § 2244	Abusive sexual contact	us	united_states_code	code_section	18	CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE	109A	SEXUAL ABUSE	2244	18 U.S.C. § 2244	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc18@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t18/s2244	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-18/usc18.xml	17478d673c13fe8812d059d8a15d17257324837cabb30d4af667b8ca8bfcf3e5	1a1bbbbdb59e376ada4eb7ad1056fd68d396679ee7ab59f0561af15006122708	78b83b4c37de2b53df267f609baa87c6cab7d7b7b4663a3435ad340aa7ff32d1	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

18 U.S.C. § 2244 - Abusive sexual contact

Text

(a) Sexual Conduct in Circumstances Where Sexual Acts Are Punished by This Chapter.— Whoever, in the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States or in a Federal prison, or in any prison, institution, or facility in which persons are held in custody by direction of or pursuant to a contract or agreement with the head of any Federal department or agency, knowingly engages in or causes sexual contact with or by another person, if so to do would violate—

(1) subsection (a) or (b) of section 2241 of this title had the sexual contact been a sexual act, shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than ten years, or both;

(2) section 2242 of this title had the sexual contact been a sexual act, shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than three years, or both;

(3) subsection (a) of section 2243 of this title had the sexual contact been a sexual act, shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than two years, or both;

(4) subsection (b) of section 2243 of this title had the sexual contact been a sexual act, shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than two years, or both;

(5) subsection (c) of section 2241 of this title had the sexual contact been a sexual act, shall be fined under this title and imprisoned for any term of years or for life; or

(6) subsection (c) of section 2243 of this title had the sexual contact been a sexual act, shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than two years, or both; 11 So in original. The semicolon probably should be a period.

(b) In Other Circumstances.— Whoever, in the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States or in a Federal prison, or in any prison, institution, or facility in which persons are held in custody by direction of or pursuant to a contract or agreement with the head of any Federal department or agency, knowingly engages in sexual contact with another person without that other person’s permission shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than two years, or both.

(c) Offenses Involving Young Children.— If the sexual contact that violates this section (other than subsection (a)(5)) is with an individual who has not attained the age of 12 years, the maximum term of imprisonment that may be imposed for the offense shall be twice that otherwise provided in this section.

(Added Pub. L. 99–646, § 87(b), Nov. 10, 1986, 100 Stat. 3622, and Pub. L. 99–654, § 2, Nov. 14, 1986, 100 Stat. 3661; amended Pub. L. 100–690, title VII, § 7058(a), Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4403; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(K), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147; Pub. L. 105–314, title III, § 302, Oct. 30, 1998, 112 Stat. 2979; Pub. L. 109–162, title XI, § 1177(a)(5), (b)(2), Jan. 5, 2006, 119 Stat. 3125; Pub. L. 109–248, title II, §§ 206(a)(2), 207(2), July 27, 2006, 120 Stat. 613, 615; Pub. L. 110–161, div. E, title V, § 554, Dec. 26, 2007, 121 Stat. 2082; Pub. L. 117–103, div. W, title XII, § 1202(d), Mar. 15, 2022, 136 Stat. 925.)

Notes

Editorial Notes

Codification Pub. L. 99–646 and Pub. L. 99–654 added identical sections 2244.

Amendments2022—Subsec. (a)(6). Pub. L. 117–103 added par. (6). 2007—Subsecs. (a), (b). Pub. L. 110–161 substituted “the head of any Federal department or agency” for “the Attorney General”. 2006—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 109–248, § 207(2), inserted comma after “Attorney General” in introductory provisions. Pub. L. 109–162, § 1177(a)(5), inserted “or in any prison, institution, or facility in which persons are held in custody by direction of or pursuant to a contract or agreement with the Attorney General” after “in a Federal prison,” in introductory provisions. Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 109–248, § 206(a)(2)(A)(i), inserted “subsection (a) or (b) of” before “section 2241 of this title”. Subsec. (a)(4). Pub. L. 109–162, § 1177(b)(2), substituted “two years” for “six months”. Subsec. (a)(5). Pub. L. 109–248, § 206(a)(2)(A)(ii)–(iv), added par. (5). Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 109–248, § 207(2), inserted comma after “Attorney General”. Pub. L. 109–162, § 1177(a)(5), (b)(2), inserted “or in any prison, institution, or facility in which persons are held in custody by direction of or pursuant to a contract or agreement with the Attorney General” after “in a Federal prison,” and substituted “two years” for “six months”. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 109–248, § 206(a)(2)(B), inserted “(other than subsection (a)(5))” after “violates this section”. 1998—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 105–314 added subsec. (c). 1994—Subsecs. (a)(4), (b). Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $5,000”. 1988—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 100–690 substituted “ten years” for “five years” in par. (1) and “two years” for “one year” in par. (3).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 2022 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 117–103 not effective until Oct. 1 of the first fiscal year beginning after Mar. 15, 2022, see section 4(a) of div. W of Pub. L. 117–103, set out as an Effective Date note under section 6851 of Title 15, Commerce and Trade.