Rhode Island § 11-9-5.4 § 11-9-5.4. Child endangerment.

Rhode Island Statutes

§ 11-9-5.4 — § 11-9-5.4. Child endangerment.

Rhode Island § 11-9-5.4

Title 11Criminal Offenses

Ch. 11-9Children

This text of Rhode Island § 11-9-5.4 (§ 11-9-5.4. Child endangerment.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Rhode Island primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

R.I. Gen. Laws § 11-9-5.4 (2026).

Text

§ 11-9-5.4. Child endangerment.
(a) When used in this section, the following words and phrases are construed as follows:
         
(1) "Childâ€� means any person under eighteen (18) years of age.
         
(2) "Serious bodily injuryâ€� shall have the same definition as contained in § 11-5-2(c).
         
(3) "Sexual abuseâ€� means any sexual contact or penetration prohibited by chapter 37 of
            this title.
         
(b) A person is guilty of endangering the welfare of a child when being a parent, guardian,
            or any other person who has custod

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§ 11-9-5.4. Child endangerment.

(a) When used in this section, the following words and phrases are construed as follows:

(1) "Childâ€� means any person under eighteen (18) years of age.

(2) "Serious bodily injuryâ€� shall have the same definition as contained in § 11-5-2(c).

(3) "Sexual abuseâ€� means any sexual contact or penetration prohibited by chapter 37 of this title.

(b) A person is guilty of endangering the welfare of a child when being a parent, guardian, or any other person who has custody or control of a child, the person:

(1) Wantonly or recklessly engages in conduct that creates a substantial risk of serious bodily injury to the child or sexual abuse of the child; or

(2) Wantonly or recklessly fails to take reasonable steps to alleviate such risk to the child where there is a duty to act.

(c) For purposes of this section, such wanton and reckless behavior occurs when a person is aware of and consciously disregards a substantial and unjustifiable risk that their acts, or omissions where there is a duty to act, would result in a substantial risk of serious bodily injury to the child or sexual abuse of the child for whom they have custody or control. The risk must be of such nature and degree that disregard of the risk constitutes a gross deviation from the standard of conduct that a reasonable person would observe in the situation.

(d) Any person who shall violate this section shall be guilty of a felony, and for the first offense, be imprisoned up to three (3) years or be fined not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000), or both.

(e) Any person who has been previously convicted of child endangerment under this section and thereafter commits child endangerment shall be imprisoned up to ten (10) years or be fined not exceeding five thousand dollars ($5,000), or both.