Laws on Harboring a Runaway in the State of South Carolina
There are only nine U.S. states that consider running away from home a crime. South Carolina is one of them. Abetting a runaway thereby also constitutes a crime which might carry significant penalties.
Other People Are Reading
-
Specific Law
-
South Carolina law, under Section 16"17"495(B), states that "transporting a child under sixteen years of age with the purpose of concealing the child or avoiding a custody order or statute" is illegal. This law, in many respects, can be seen as applying to the harboring of a runaway juvenile.
General Law
-
Running away from home is itself a crime in South Carolina if the person is under 18 years old. Therefore, to harbor a runaway is equivalent to being an accessory to the crime and carries penalties similar to the principal crime itself.
-
Penalties
-
In South Carolina, concealing a child in violation of statute is considered to be a Class F felony. Although this is the least severe felony conviction in South Carolina with regard to jail time, it carries the possibility of 10 years in prison.
-
