West Virginia Code § 61-8D-4

Child neglect resulting in injury; child neglect creating risk of injury;
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criminal penalties.
(a) If a parent, guardian, custodian, or person in a position of trust in relation to a child
neglects a child and by such neglect causes the child bodily injury, as bodily injury is defined
in §61-8B-1 of this code, then the parent, guardian, custodian, or person in a position of trust
in relation to a child is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall ebe imprisoned in
a state correctional facility for not less than two years nor more than 10 years, or in the
discretion of the court, be confined in jail for not more than one year.. r
(b) If a parent, guardian, custodian, or person in a position of truust in relation to a child
neglects a child and by such neglect causes the child serious bodily injury, as serious bodily
injury is defined in §61-8B-1 of this code, then the parent, gutardian, custodian, or person in a
position of trust in relation to a child is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall
be imprisoned in a state correctional facility for not less than five years nor more than 15
years.
(c) If a parent, guardian, custodian, or persons in a position of trust in relation to a child
neglects a child and by that neglect creates a substantial risk of death or serious bodily
injury, as serious bodily injury is defined in §61-8B-1 of this code, of the child then the
parent, guardian, custodian, or persgon in a position of trust in relation to a child is guilty of a
felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be imprisoned in a state correctional facility for
not less than one nor more thaen 10 years.
(d)(1) If a parent, guardian, custodian, or person in a position of trust in relation to a child
neglects a child and by that neglect creates a substantial risk of bodily injury, as defined in
§61-8B-1 of this code, to the child, then the parent, guardian, custodian, or person in a
position of trust in relation to a child is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction
thereof, for a first offense, shall be fined not less than $100 nor more than $1,000 or
confined in jail not more than six months, or both fined and confined.
(2) If a parent, guardian, custodian, or person in a position of trust to a child violates this
subsection and has previously been convicted of violating this subsection, §61-8D-3(d) of this
code, or a law of another state or the federal government with the same essential elements,
the parent, guardian, custodian, or person in a position of trust in relation to a child is guilty
of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be imprisoned in a state correctional facility
not less than one year nor more than five years..
(e) Any person convicted of a felony offense under this section, who was previously convicted
of a felony offense under this section, §61-8D-3, or a law of another state or the federal
government with the same essential elements of a felony offense contained within either
section, may be imprisoned for a term up to twice the term otherwise authorized, fined an
amount up to twice that otherwise authorized, or both fined and imprisoned.
(f) The provisions of this section may not apply if the neglect by the parent, guardian,
custodian, or person in a position of trust in relation to a child is due primarily to a lack of
financial means on the part of the parent, guardian, custodian, or person in a position of
trust in relation to the child.
(g) Any person convicted of a misdemeanor offense under this section:
(1) May be required to complete parenting classes, substance abuse counseling, anger
management counseling, or other appropriate services, or any combination thereof, as
determined by Department of Human Services through its services assessment evaluation,
which shall be submitted to the court of conviction upon written request;
(2) May not be required to register pursuant to the requirements of §15-13-1 et seq. of this
code; and
(3) May not, solely by virtue of the conviction, have hisa or her custody, visitation, or parental
rights automatically restricted.

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