Massachusetts General Laws

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 119, § 63 (2026)

Inducing or abetting delinquency of child

✓ current as of July 2026

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Section 63. Any person who shall be found to have caused, induced, abetted, or encouraged or contributed toward the delinquency of a child, or to have acted in any way tending to cause or induce such delinquency, may be punished by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars or by imprisonment of not more than one year, or both. The court may release on probation under section eighty-seven of chapter two hundred and seventy-six, subject to such orders as it may make as to future conduct tending to cause, induce or contribute to such delinquency, or it may suspend sentence under section one of chapter two hundred and seventy-nine, or before trial, with the defendant's consent, it may allow the defendant to enter into a recognizance, in such penal sum as the court may fix, conditioned to comply with such terms as the court may order for the promotion of the future welfare of the child, and the said case may then be placed on file. The provisions for recognizance in section fifty-six shall be applicable to cases arising hereunder. The divisions of the juvenile court department shall, within their respective territorial limits, have exclusive jurisdiction over complaints alleging violations of this section.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 23 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1959–2021 · leading case: Commonwealth v. Matos, 941 N.E.2d 645 (Mass. App. Ct. 2011).

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Commonwealth v. Matos, 941 N.E.2d 645 (Mass. App. Ct. 2011). · cites it 5× “272, § 7, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, G. L. c. 119, § 63. 1 The defendant appeals.”

Commonwealth v. Parent, 989 N.E.2d 426 (Mass. 2013). · cites it 2× “265, § 13H; and the latter two alleged that he contributed to the delinquency of a child, in violation of G. L. c. 119, § 63. The second indictment rested solely on the theory that the defendant violated G.”

United States v. Rosalio Correa, 114 F.3d 314 (1st Cir. 1997). · cites it 2× “138, § 34A (1991), and contributing to the delinquency of a child for buying and serving alcohol to two boys, ages 12 and 15, respectively, in violation of Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 119, § 63 (1993). The infractions were alleged to have occurred on June 8, 1991, in Beverly,…”

E.C.O. v. Compton, 984 N.E.2d 787 (Mass. 2013). “138, § 34 (furnishing alcohol to minor), and G. L. c. 119, § 63 (contributing to delinquency of minor), and would present a different circumstance than existed here.”

Commonwealth v. Militello, 848 N.E.2d 406 (Mass. App. Ct. 2006). · cites it 2× “Militello, appeals from his convictions by a District Court jury of (1) four counts of contributing to the delinquency of a child, in violation of G. L. c. 119, § 63; (2) one count of open and gross lewdness, in violation of G.”

Commonwealth v. Deloney, 794 N.E.2d 613 (Mass. App. Ct. 2003). “265, § 13B; two counts of indecent assault and battery on Sam, a child under the age of fourteen; and contributing to the delinquency of a child, David, G. L. c. 119, § 63. 2 He attacks the convictions in three respects: (1) that there were improprieties in the prosecutor’s…”

Commonwealth v. Templeman, 381 N.E.2d 1300 (Mass. 1978). · cites it 2× “We do not in any way intimate that the defendant's conduct was lawful. A charge of incest was the subject of a nolle prosequi because the necessary element of consanguinity was absent.”

Commonwealth v. Garcia, 718 N.E.2d 1259 (Mass. App. Ct. 1999). · cites it 5× “Upon a complaint charging her with the crime colloquially called “contributing to the delinquency of a minor,” see G. L. c. 119, § 63 (text reproduced in the margin), 1 the *202 defendant, Donna Garcia, was tried, nonjury, in Fall River Juvenile Court on April 23, 1998,…”

Commonwealth v. Correa, 686 N.E.2d 213 (Mass. App. Ct. 1997). “Two complaints each charged the defendant with contributing to the delinquency of a child, G. L. c. 119, § 63, and falsifying age to purchase alcoholic beverages, G.”

George W. Prescott Publ'g Co. v. Stoughton Div. of Dist. Court Dep't of Trial Court, 701 N.E.2d 307 (Mass. 1998). · cites it 2× “Berkowitz, both adults, were charged in complaints in the Stoughton Division of the District Court under G. L. c. 119, § 63, with contributing to the delinquency of minors, and, under G.”

Commonwealth v. Dennis, 604 N.E.2d 48 (Mass. App. Ct. 1992). “94C, § 32E[¿ ][1]) and of three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a child (G. L. c. 119, § 63). On appeal, he claims the trial judge erred in admitting in evidence the testi *667 mony of a police officer as to how street level drug dealers conduct their business and…”

Commonwealth v. Odell, 607 N.E.2d 423 (Mass. App. Ct. 1993). “272, § 3), six counts of con *101 tributing to the delinquency of a minor (G. L. c. 119, § 63), four counts of indecent assault and battery, and one count of indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of fourteen.”

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