What Is Indecent Solicitation of a Child?

Q: Where do I report suspected online enticement of a child?

If a child is in immediate danger, call 911 . Otherwise you can report to the NCMEC CyberTipline at report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678, and to your local police.

Last reviewed: October 5, 2026. This article is general information, not legal advice. Each state defines and names this offense differently, so check your state's statute; if a child is in danger, call 911.

"Indecent solicitation of a child" is a legal term you may come across in news reports, court records or a charging document. This page explains what it means in plain, factual terms, using Illinois (where the term comes from) and federal law as examples, and tells you where to report a concern.

Short answer: indecent solicitation of a child is a crime in which an adult (in Illinois, a person 17 or older) knowingly asks, urges or persuades a child, or someone they believe is a child, to engage in sexual activity, with the intent that a serious sex offense be committed. No sexual act has to take place. Federal law makes similar conduct a crime when it uses the internet, phone or mail under 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b).

What the law actually says

720 ILCS 5/11-6(a) (Illinois): "A person of the age of 17 years and upwards commits indecent solicitation of a child if the person, with the intent that the offense of aggravated criminal sexual assault, criminal sexual assault, predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, or aggravated criminal sexual abuse be committed, knowingly solicits a child or one whom he or she believes to be a child to perform an act of sexual penetration or sexual conduct as defined in Section 11-0.1 of this Code." Read the official text (ilga.gov)

18 U.S.C. § 2422(b) (federal): In summary: it is a federal crime to use the mail or any facility of interstate commerce (such as the internet or a phone) to knowingly persuade, induce, entice or coerce anyone under 18 into sexual activity that is a criminal offense, or to attempt to. The penalty is 10 years to life in prison. Read the official text (Cornell LII)

How Illinois defines the offense

Illinois law sets out two ways to commit the offense and defines the key words.

In-person or any-means solicitation, subsection (a): a person 17 or older, intending that one of the listed sex offenses be committed, knowingly solicits a child (or someone they believe is a child) to perform a sexual act.
Online discussion, subsection (a-5): a person 17 or older knowingly discusses a sexual act with a child (or someone they believe is a child) by means of the Internet, with the intent that one of the listed offenses be committed.
No "it wasn't with me" defense, subsection (a-6): for the online offense, it is not a defense that the person didn't ask the child to engage in the act with them personally.

The statute's definitions (subsection (b)) matter:

"Solicit" means "to command, authorize, urge, incite, request, or advise another to perform an act by any means including, but not limited to, in person, over the phone, in writing, by computer, or by advertisement of any kind."
"Child" means "a person under 17 years of age."

Two points follow from the wording. First, the offense is complete when the solicitation is made with the required intent; no meeting or physical contact is needed. Second, because the law covers "one whom he or she believes to be a child," a charge can follow even if the other person was actually an adult, such as an undercover officer.

Penalties in Illinois

Subsection (c) grades the offense by the crime that was intended. In summary:

Class 1 felony if the act, if done, would be predatory criminal sexual assault of a child or aggravated criminal sexual assault.
Class 2 felony if the act would be criminal sexual assault.
Class 3 felony if the act would be aggravated criminal sexual abuse.
Class 4 felony for online discussion under subsection (a-5).

Illinois's sentencing code sets the prison range for each class. For example, it provides 3 to 7 years for a Class 2 felony, 2 to 5 years for a Class 3 felony and 1 to 3 years for a Class 4 felony, with longer extended terms in some cases. A Class 1 felony carries a higher range. Sentences in a real case depend on the facts and the defendant's history, so check the current code.

The federal offense

Federal prosecutors often charge online cases under 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b), especially where the internet, a phone or messaging apps were used. Key points from the statute:

It covers anyone who "knowingly persuades, induces, entices, or coerces" a person under 18 into prostitution or criminal sexual activity, or attempts to do so.
The penalty is a fine and imprisonment of not less than 10 years or for life.
Because attempts are covered, these cases can arise from investigations in which officers pose as minors.

Sex offender registration

A conviction usually brings registration duties on top of any sentence:

Illinois: the Sex Offender Registration Act (730 ILCS 150/2) lists "11-6 (indecent solicitation of a child)" as a sex offense, as well as attempts.
Federal law: the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (34 U.S.C. § 20911) defines "sex offense" to include federal offenses under chapter 117 of title 18, which contains § 2422.

Registration rules, including how long they last, differ by state and offense. For an example of how a registry works in practice, see North Carolina sex offender laws.

Other states use different names

"Indecent solicitation of a child" is the name Illinois uses. Other states cover the same kind of conduct under other names, such as solicitation of a minor, child enticement, luring, or online solicitation. The age that defines a "child," the required intent and the penalty all vary, so read your own state's statute. Age-of-consent rules are a separate question; see age of consent laws for examples.

Where to report a concern

If you believe a child is being targeted or harmed:

If a child is in immediate danger, call 911.
Report online enticement to the NCMEC CyberTipline at report.cybertip.org or by phone at 1-800-843-5678 (24 hours a day). NCMEC describes the CyberTipline as "the nation's centralized reporting system for the online exploitation of children," and it accepts reports of suspected online enticement of children for sexual acts.
Contact your local police.
Keep the evidence. Don't delete messages, profiles or usernames; take screenshots if you can do so safely, and don't confront the person.

If you are facing a charge, speak to a criminal defense lawyer before discussing the case with anyone else. If you are a parent or survivor, a victim advocate or attorney can explain your options, including time limits for civil claims; see statute of limitations on child abuse.

Does a sexual act have to happen for this to be a crime?

No. Under the Illinois statute, the crime is the solicitation (or, for online conduct, the discussion) made with the required intent. Federal law under 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b) also covers attempts.

What if the "child" was actually an undercover officer?

The Illinois statute covers soliciting "a child or one whom he or she believes to be a child," and the federal statute covers attempts, so the charge can apply even when no real child was involved.

Is indecent solicitation of a child a felony?

Yes. In Illinois it ranges from a Class 4 felony (online discussion under subsection (a-5)) to a Class 1 felony, depending on the offense intended. The federal offense carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, up to life.

Does a conviction require sex offender registration?

In Illinois, yes: the Sex Offender Registration Act lists 11-6 (indecent solicitation of a child) as a sex offense. Federal law also treats offenses under chapter 117 of title 18, which includes § 2422, as sex offenses for registration purposes.

Where do I report suspected online enticement of a child?

If a child is in immediate danger, call 911. Otherwise you can report to the NCMEC CyberTipline at report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678, and to your local police.

Sources

720 ILCS 5/11-6, Indecent solicitation of a child: ilga.gov
730 ILCS 5/5-4.5-35, Class 2 felonies; sentence: ilga.gov
730 ILCS 5/5-4.5-40, Class 3 felonies; sentence: ilga.gov
730 ILCS 5/5-4.5-45, Class 4 felonies; sentence: ilga.gov
730 ILCS 150/2, Sex Offender Registration Act definitions: ilga.gov
18 U.S.C. § 2422, Coercion and enticement: Cornell LII
34 U.S.C. § 20911, SORNA definitions: Cornell LII
NCMEC CyberTipline: missingkids.org

What Is Indecent Solicitation of a Child? The Law, Penalties and How to Report It