The House Courts and Criminal Code Committee heard SB 119 on grooming sponsored by Rep. Olthoff and authored by Sen. Dernulc and Sen. Niemeyer. The bill:
- Adds a facility or event that provides entertainment or programming primarily directed toward a child less than 18 years of age to the list of facilities at which a sexually violent predator or an offender against children may not work or volunteer.
- Adds entering a facility or location holding an event that provides entertainment or programming primarily directed toward a child less than 18 years of age by a serious sex offender to the crime of unlawful entry by a serious sex offender.
- Renames the offense of “inappropriate communication with a child” to “sexual grooming”, and provides (in addition to the current elements of the offense) that a person commits the offense if the person engages in a pattern of repeated or continuous contact with an individual whom the person believes to be a child less than 14 years of age, with the intent to make the individual less resistant to future sexual conduct.
The Committee amended the bill by consent to specify what constitutes grooming activity and provide that a “computer network” includes cellular telephones.
The Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council and private citizens testified in support of the bill. Purple for Parents and private citizens testified in opposition. The Indiana Public Defender Council testified but remained neutral. The amended bill passed 13-0.
Read the bill at: https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2026/bills/senate/119