18 U.S.C. § 2241

Aggravated sexual abuse

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(a)By Force or Threat.—Whoever, in the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States or in a Federal prison, or in any prison, institution, or facility in which persons are held in custody by direction of or pursuant to a contract or agreement with the head of any Federal department or agency, knowingly causes another person to engage in a sexual act—(1) by using force against that other person; or(2) by threatening or placing that other person in fear that any person will be subjected to death, serious bodily injury, or kidnapping;or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title, imprisoned for any term of years or life, or both.(b)By Other Means.—Whoever, in the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States or in a Federal prison, or in any prison, institution, or facility in which persons are held in custody by direction of or pursuant to a contract or agreement with the head of any Federal department or agency, knowingly—(1) renders another person unconscious and thereby engages in a sexual act with that other person; or(2) administers to another person by force or threat of force, or without the knowledge or permission of that person, a drug, intoxicant, or other similar substance and thereby—(A) substantially impairs the ability of that other person to appraise or control conduct; and(B) engages in a sexual act with that other person;or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title, imprisoned for any term of years or life, or both.(c)With Children.—Whoever crosses a State line with intent to engage in a sexual act with a person who has not attained the age of 12 years, or in the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States or in a Federal prison, or in any prison, institution, or facility in which persons are held in custody by direction of or pursuant to a contract or agreement with the head of any Federal department or agency, knowingly engages in a sexual act with another person who has not attained the age of 12 years, or knowingly engages in a sexual act under the circumstances described in subsections (a) and (b) with another person who has attained the age of 12 years but has not attained the age of 16 years (and is at least 4 years younger than the person so engaging), or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title and imprisoned for not less than 30 years or for life. If the defendant has previously been convicted of another Federal offense under this subsection, or of a State offense or an offense under the Uniform Code of Military Justice that would have been an offense under any such provision had the offense occurred in a Federal prison, unless the death penalty is imposed, the defendant shall be sentenced to life in prison.(d)State of Mind Proof Requirement.—In a prosecution under subsection (c) of this section, the Government need not prove that the defendant knew that the other person engaging in the sexual act had not attained the age of 12 years.(Added Pub. L. 99–646, § 87(b), Nov. 10, 1986, 100 Stat. 3620, and Pub. L. 99–654, § 2, Nov. 14, 1986, 100 Stat. 3660; amended Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330021(1), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2150; Pub. L. 104–208, div. A, title I, § 101(a) [title I, § 121[7(b)]], Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009, 3009–26, 3009–31; Pub. L. 105–314, title III, § 301(a), Oct. 30, 1998, 112 Stat. 2978; Pub. L. 109–162, title XI, § 1177(a)(1), (2), Jan. 5, 2006, 119 Stat. 3125; Pub. L. 109–248, title II, §§ 206(a)(1), 207(2), July 27, 2006, 120 Stat. 613, 615; Pub. L. 110–161, div. E, title V, § 554, Dec. 26, 2007, 121 Stat. 2082; Pub. L. 118–159, div. A, title V, § 569(1), Dec. 23, 2024, 138 Stat. 1906.)Editorial NotesCodification

Pub. L. 99–646 and Pub. L. 99–654 added identical sections 2241.

Amendments

2024—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 118–159 inserted “or an offense under the Uniform Code of Military Justice” after “State offense” and substituted “any such provision” for “either such provision” in second sentence.

2007—Subsecs. (a) to (c). Pub. L. 110–161 substituted “the head of any Federal department or agency” for “the Attorney General”.

2006—Subsecs. (a), (b). Pub. L. 109–248, § 207(2), inserted comma after “Attorney General” in introductory provisions.

Pub. L. 109–162, § 1177(a)(1), inserted “or in any prison, institution, or facility in which persons are held in custody by direction of or pursuant to a contract or agreement with the Attorney General” after “in a Federal prison,” in introductory provisions.

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 109–248 inserted comma after “Attorney General” and substituted “and imprisoned for not less than 30 years or for life” for “, imprisoned for any term of years or life, or both” in first sentence.

Pub. L. 109–162, § 1177(a)(2), inserted “or in any prison, institution, or facility in which persons are held in custody by direction of or pursuant to a contract or agreement with the Attorney General” after “in a Federal prison,” in first sentence.

1998—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 105–314 substituted “younger than the person so engaging” for “younger than that person”.

1996—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 104–208 reenacted heading without change and amended text generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “Whoever, in the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States or in a Federal prison, knowingly engages in a sexual act with another person who has not attained the age of 12 years, or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title, imprisoned for any term of years or life, or both.”

1994—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “kidnapping” for “kidnaping”.

Statutory Notes and Related SubsidiariesEffective Date

Pub. L. 99–646, § 87(e), Nov. 10, 1986, 100 Stat. 3624, and Pub. L. 99–654, § 4, Nov. 14, 1986, 100 Stat. 3664, provided, respectively, that: “This section and the amendments made by this section [see Short Title note below] shall take effect 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act [Nov. 10, 1986].” and “This Act and the amendments made by this Act [see Short Title note below] shall take effect 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act [Nov. 14, 1986].”

Short Title of 1996 Amendment

Pub. L. 104–208, div. A, title I, § 101(a) [title I, § 121[7(a)]], Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009, 3009–31, provided that: “This section [probably means subsec. 7 of section 121 of Pub. L. 104–208, div. A, title I, § 101(a), which amended sections 2241 and 2243 of this title] may be cited as the ‘Amber Hagerman Child Protection Act of 1996’.”

Short Title of 1986 Amendment

Pub. L. 99–646, § 87(a), Nov. 10, 1986, 100 Stat. 3620, and Pub. L. 99–654, § 1, Nov. 14, 1986, 100 Stat. 3660, provided, respectively, that: “This section [enacting this chapter, amending sections 113, 1111, 1153, and 3185 of this title, sections 300w–3, 300w–4, and 9511 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, and section 1472 of former Title 49, Transportation, and repealing chapter 99 of this title] may be cited as the ‘Sexual Abuse Act of 1986’.” and “This Act [enacting this chapter, amending sections 113, 1111, 1153, and 3185 of this title, sections 300w–3, 300w–4, and 9511 of Title 42, and section 1472 of former Title 49, Transportation, and repealing chapter 99 of this title] may be cited as the ‘Sexual Abuse Act of 1986’.”

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 1,233 cases (211 in the last 5 years), 1969–2026 · leading case: United States v. King, 604 F.3d 125 (3rd Cir. 2010).

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United States v. King, 604 F.3d 125 (3rd Cir. 2010). · cites it 14× “Richard King appeals his judgment of sentence following a conditional guilty plea to violating 18 U.S.C. § 2241 (c) (Interstate Transportation to Engage in Sex with a Minor).”

United States v. Brenton-Farley, 607 F.3d 1294 (11th Cir. 2010). · cites it 8× “Count One charged that on May 15, 2007, he had knowingly crossed “a State line” with intent to engage in a sexual act with a person under the age of twelve, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2241 (c). Count Two charged that between October 3, 2006 and May 15, 2007, Farley had used a…”

United States v. Cerno, 529 F.3d 926 (10th Cir. 2008). · cites it 12× “Steve Cerno appeals his jury conviction on five counts of aggravated sexual abuse in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2241 (a) and his resulting sentence of life imprisonment.”

United States v. William Dahl, 833 F.3d 345 (3rd Cir. 2016). · cites it 7× “However, the pro *349 bation officer recommended, and the District Court found, that Dahl’s prior state convictions were the equivalent of convictions for federal aggravated sexual abuse under 18 U.S.C. § 2241 (a Chapter 109A offense), and therefore “sex offense conviction”…”

United States v. Jdt, Juv. Male, 762 F.3d 984 (9th Cir. 2014). · cites it 19× “JUVENILE MALE SUMMARY** Criminal Law The panel vacated the district court’s adjudication of juvenile delinquency on six counts of aggravated sexual abuse, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2241 (c), remanded for consideration of all disposition options, including a suspension of…”

United States v. Aaron Wikkerink, 841 F.3d 327 (5th Cir. 2016). · cites it 7× “The closest federal analogues to Wikkerink’s previous state offenses are aggravated sexual abuse ( 18 U.S.C. § 2241 ), sexual' abuse ( 18 U.”

United States v. Thomas Reid Decarlo, 434 F.3d 447 (6th Cir. 2006). · cites it 9× “DeCarlo was convicted by a jury of violating both 18 U.S.C. § 2241 (c) — which prohibits interstate travel with the intent to have sex with a child younger than twelve years old — and 18 U.”

United States v. Malek al-Maliki, 787 F.3d 784 (6th Cir. 2015). · cites it 6× “That guideline instructs courts to increase the sentence by four levels “[i]f the offense involved conduct described in 18 U.S.C. § 2241 (a) or (b).” U.S.S.G. § 2A3.”

United States v. Lavont Flanders, Jr., 752 F.3d 1317 (11th Cir. 2014). · cites it 6× “Under a cross-reference provision, if the offense “involved” conduct described in 18 U.S.C. § 2241 (a) or (b) (aggravated sexual abuse) or § 2242 (sexual abuse), the guideline should be calculated under § 2A3.”

United States v. Lynn Michael LaVictor, 848 F.3d 428 (6th Cir. 2017). · cites it 3× “§ 2242 (2)(B) (“Count One”); (2) aggravated sexual abuse pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 2241 (a)(1) (“Count Two” and “Count Three”); (3) assault resulting in serious bodily injury pursuant to 18 U.”

United States v. James Bruguier, 735 F.3d 754 (8th Cir. 2013). · cites it 8× “Codified Laws § 22-32-1 ; aggravated sexual abuse, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2241 (a); and sexual abuse of a minor, in violation of 18 U.”

United States v. Shawn Shaw, 891 F.3d 441 (3rd Cir. 2018). · cites it 5× “While this Court has not yet addressed the issue, a number of our sister Circuits have defined the term by reference to the federal aggravated sexual abuse statute, 18 U.S.C. § 2241 , excluding its jurisdictional requirements.”

Show all 1,233 citing cases →

— 18 U.S.C. § 2241(a) — 2 cases

Fourstar v. United States, 122 Fed. Cl. 596 (Fed. Cl. 2015).

Ramirez-Ortega v. United States (D. Ariz. 2025).

— 18 U.S.C. § 2241(a)(1) — 1 case

United States v. Francis Crowley & Steven Valjato, 236 F.3d 104 (2d Cir. 2000).

— 18 U.S.C. § 2241(c) — 5 cases

United States v. Holmes, 699 F. Supp. 2d 818 (E.D. Va. 2010).

United States v. Robert Dowty, Sr., 37 F.4th 489 (8th Cir. 2022).

Doe 9 v. Varsity Brands LLC (D.S.C. 2023).

Doe 1 v. Varsity Brands LLC (D.S.C. 2023).

United States v. Poole (4th Cir. 1998).

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