Online Solicitation of a Minor

Online Solicitation of a Minor under Texas Penal Code § 33.021 criminalizes the use of the internet, email, commercial online services, text messages, or any electronic communication to sexually communicate with, or solicit a meeting with, a minor for the purpose of sexual activity. Communicating in a sexually explicit manner with a minor under 17, or soliciting a minor to meet, is a Third-Degree Felony. When the minor is under 14, or the defendant represents themself as under 14, the offense is a Second-Degree Felony. It is not a defense that the 'minor' was actually a law enforcement officer posing as a minor. Conviction requires lifetime sex offender registration.