• Child abduction is a criminal offense.child image by Cora Reed from Fotolia.com
  
  Child abduction and kidnapping are serious criminal offenses in Kansas. Kansas criminal law defines child abduction as the unlawful seizure and carrying away of a child by force or fraud. Holding a child against his will with the intent to move the child elsewhere at a later time is also a form of child abduction in Kansas.
  
  

Parental Abduction Law

• In Kansas, a parent can be charged with child abduction if the parent keeps the child from the custodial parent without permission. A parent abducting a child is treated just as seriously under the law as if a stranger was to abduct the child. If a child's custodial parent is concerned the non-custodial parent may abduct the child, the custodial parent can get an abduction prevention order from the court. Abduction prevention orders restricts the amount of travel a non-custodial parent can do with a child. For example, a non-custodial parent may need to get court permission before he can leave the state with the minor child. Additionally, if the court feels child abduction is imminent and the threat credible, the non-custodial parent may have to have supervised visits with the child.
  
  

Child Abduction Laws

• An individual who takes or confines a child by force may be charged with child abduction. How far the child victim is forced to travel is irrelevant under the law. For example if the child only travels a few feet in his captors car, it is no different than if the child had been taken miles away. Additionally, child abduction occurs any time a child is confined somewhere, regardless of where that location is. For example, a child can be abducted in his parents house if he is confined there and unable to leave.
  
  

Penalties

• Child abduction is a felony in Kansas that, as of August, 2010, carries a fine of up to $300,000 or 61 months imprisonment (more than five years). However, if the abductor physically injures the abducted child, the child abduction arises to aggravated kidnapping which is punishable by imprisonment for a maximum of 165 months (more than 13 years).