Washington statute
RCW 9A.42.110 — Leaving a child in the care of a sex offender
Current through 2026 Regular Session
Part of Chapter 9A.42: Criminal Mistreatment, Revised Code of Washington.
Criminal charges under this statute
Full text of RCW 9A.42.110
Statutory text current through the 2026 Regular Session. This publication reproduces the official text of the Revised Code of Washington from the Code Reviser's published files; it is not the official statutes of the State of Washington.
(1) A person is guilty of the crime of leaving a child in the care of a sex offender if the person is (a) the parent of a child; (b) entrusted with the physical custody of a child; or (c) employed to provide to the child the basic necessities of life, and leaves the child in the care or custody of another person who is not a parent, guardian, or lawful custodian of the child, knowing that the person is registered or required to register as a sex offender under the laws of this state, or a law or ordinance in another jurisdiction with similar requirements, because of a sex offense against a child.
(2) It is an affirmative defense to the charge of leaving a child in the care of a sex offender under this section, that the defendant must prove by a preponderance of the evidence, that a court has entered an order allowing the offender to have unsupervised contact with children, or that the offender is allowed to have unsupervised contact with the child in question under a family reunification plan, which has been approved by a court, the department of corrections, or the department of social and health services in accordance with department policies.
(3) Leaving a child in the care of a sex offender is a misdemeanor.
Official sources
Legal terms used in this section
Questions this section answers
Is leaving a child in the care of a sex offender a felony or a misdemeanor in Washington?
Leaving a child in the care of a sex offender is a Misdemeanor in Washington under RCW 9A.42.110.
Which Washington statute covers leaving a child in the care of a sex offender?
Leaving a child in the care of a sex offender is governed by RCW 9A.42.110 (Leaving a child in the care of a sex offender).
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.