S.C. Code Ann. § 16-3-1045

This is the official text of S.C. Code Ann. § 16-3-1045, part of South Carolina’s Code Ann — part of the compiled statutory law of South Carolina, published by the state as "Code Ann." Browse the sections below, each linked to its official government source.

Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.

SECTION 16-3-1045. Use or employment of person under eighteen to commit certain crimes.

Official statutory text

(A) It is unlawful for any person at least eighteen years of age to knowingly and intentionally: (1) use, solicit, direct, hire, persuade, induce, entice, coerce, or employ a person under eighteen years of age to commit a violent crime as defined in Section 16-1-60, the crime of lynching as a result of mob violence prohibited by Article 3, Chapter 3 of this title, or the unlawful distribution of cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, marijuana, or LSD; (2) conspire to use, solicit, direct, hire, persuade, induce, entice, coerce, or employ a person under eighteen years of age to commit a violent crime as defined in Section 16-1-60, the crime of lynching as a result of mob violence prohibited by Article 3, Chapter 3 of this title, or the unlawful distribution of cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, marijuana, or LSD. (B) Any person who violates subsections (A)(1) or (A)(2) is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be punished by a term of imprisonment of not less than five years nor more than fifteen years. Each violation of this section constitutes a separate offense. (C) The felonies established in this section are supplemental to and do not supersede any other provisions of law which make the conduct referred to in subsection (A) unlawful.

Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site

Need a lawyer in South Carolina?

Find a South Carolina lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the Open US Law dataset (Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine (Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.