Q: if a 16 year old is running away from home and stays the night at your house but u didnt know they had ran away could
me and my parents get in trouble for letting them stay for one night in the state of texas. please reply quickly
A:
aking in a runaway child without permission from the child’s parent or legal guarding is known as “harboring a runaway” and it’s illegal. Under Texas Penal Code 25.06, a person commits an offense if he knowingly harbors, or hides, a child and he is criminally negligent about whether the child:is younger than 18 years old;
has escaped from the custody of a peace officer, a probation officer, the Texas Youth Council, or a detention facility for children; or voluntarily left home without the consent of the child’s parent or guardian for a substantial length of time or without the intent to return.
Harboring a runaway child is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a maximum $4,000 fine, or both. Class A offenses are the most serious misdemeanor classifications in Texas.
It’s important to point out that there are defenses for harboring a runaway. An individual would not be in violation of the law if they:
were related to the child “within the second degree by consanguinity or affinity” as defined by Chapter 573, Government Code; or if you inform the child’s legal custodian or a law enforcement agency of the child’s location within 24 hours.
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