§44.2. Aggravated kidnapping of a child

            A. Aggravated kidnapping of a child is the unauthorized taking, enticing, or decoying away and removing from a location for an unlawful purpose by any person other than a parent, grandparent, or legal guardian of a child under the age of thirteen years with the intent to secret the child from his parent or legal guardian.

            B.(1) Whoever commits the crime of aggravated kidnapping of a child shall be punished by life imprisonment at hard labor without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence.

            (2) Notwithstanding the provisions of Paragraph (1) of this Subsection, if the child is returned not physically injured or sexually abused, then the offender shall be punished in accordance with the provisions of R.S. 14:44.1. For the purposes of this Paragraph, "sexually abused" means that the child was subjected to any sex offense as defined in R.S. 15:541.

            Acts 2001, No. 654, §1; Acts 2006, No. 118, §1; Acts 2022, No. 173, §1.