---
kind: "section"
citation: "18 U.S.C. § 250"
title: "18"
title_heading: "Crimes and Criminal Procedure"
number: "250"
heading: "Penalties for civil rights offenses involving sexual misconduct"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/18/250"
units:
  - "Part I — Crimes"
  - "Chapter 13 — Civil Rights"
---

# §250. Penalties for civil rights offenses involving sexual misconduct

- (a) **Offense.—** It shall be unlawful for any [person](/usc/18/229F.md?p=5) to, in the course of committing an offense under this chapter or under section 901 of the Fair Housing Act ([42 U.S.C. 3631](/usc/42/3631.md)), engage in, or cause another to engage in, sexual misconduct.
- (b) **Penalties.—** Any [person](/usc/18/229F.md?p=5) who violates [subsection (a)](#a) shall be—
  - (1) in the case of an offense involving aggravated sexual abuse, as defined in [section 2241](/usc/18/2241.md), or if the offense involved sexual abuse, as defined in [section 2242](/usc/18/2242.md), or if the offense involved an attempt to commit such aggravated sexual abuse or sexual abuse, fined under this title and imprisoned for any term of years or for life;
  - (2) in the case of an offense involving abusive [sexual contact](/usc/18/2246.md?p=3) of a child who has not attained the age of 16, of the type prohibited by [section 2244(a)(5)](/usc/18/2244.md?p=a-5), fined under this title and imprisoned for any term of years or for life;
  - (3) in the case of an offense involving a [sexual act](/usc/18/2246.md?p=2), as defined in [section 2246](/usc/18/2246.md), with another [person](/usc/18/229F.md?p=5) without the other [person](/usc/18/229F.md?p=5)’s permission, and it does not amount to sexual abuse or aggravated sexual abuse, be fined under this title and imprisoned for not more than 40 years;
  - (4) in the case of an offense involving abusive [sexual contact](/usc/18/2246.md?p=3) of the type prohibited by subsection [(a)(1)](/usc/18/2244.md?p=a-1) or [(b)](/usc/18/2244.md?p=b) of section 2244, but excluding abusive [sexual contact](/usc/18/2246.md?p=3) through the clothing—
    - (A) fined under this title and imprisoned for not more than 10 years; and
    - (B) if the offense involves a child who has not attained the age of 12 years, imprisoned for not more than 30 years;
  - (5) in the case of an offense involving abusive [sexual contact](/usc/18/2246.md?p=3) of the type prohibited by [section 2244(a)(2)](/usc/18/2244.md?p=a-2)—
    - (A) fined under this title and imprisoned for not more than 3 years; and
    - (B) if the offense involves a child under the age of 12, imprisoned for not more than 20 years; and
  - (6) in the case of an offense involving abusive [sexual contact](/usc/18/2246.md?p=3) through the clothing of the type prohibited by subsection [(a)(3)](/usc/18/2244.md?p=a-3), [(a)(4)](/usc/18/2244.md?p=a-4), or [(b)](/usc/18/2244.md?p=b) of section 2244—
    - (A) fined under this title and imprisoned for not more than 2 years; and
    - (B) if the offense involves a child under the age of 12, imprisoned for not more than 10 years.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 117–103, div. W, title XII, § 1202(a)(1), Mar. 15, 2022, 136 Stat. 923.)

## Notes

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section 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 a note under section 6851 of Title 15, Commerce and Trade.