Illinois General Assembly - Illinois Compiled Statutes

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720 ILCS 5/12C-5

(720 ILCS 5/12C-5)

(was 720 ILCS 5/12-21.6)

Sec. 12C-5. Endangering the life or health of a child.

(a) A person commits endangering the life or health of a child when he or she knowingly: (1) causes or permits the life or
health of a child under the age of 18 to be endangered; or (2) causes or permits a child to be placed in circumstances that endanger the child's life
or health. It is not a violation of this Section for a person to relinquish a child
in accordance with the Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act.

(b) A trier of fact may infer that a child 6 years of age or younger is unattended if that child is left in a motor
vehicle for more than 10 minutes.

(c) "Unattended" means either: (i) not accompanied by a person 14 years
of age or older; or (ii) if accompanied by a person 14 years of age or older,
out of sight of that person.

(d) Sentence. A violation of this Section is a Class A misdemeanor.  A second or
subsequent violation of this Section is a Class 3 felony.  A violation of
this Section that is a proximate cause of the death of the child is a Class
3 felony for which a person, if sentenced to a term of imprisonment, shall
be sentenced to a term of not less than 2 years and not more than 10 years. A parent, who is found to be in violation of this Section with respect to his or her child,  may be sentenced to probation for this offense pursuant to Section 12C-15.

(Source: P.A. 97-1109, eff. 1-1-13.)