Statutes
Abuse, Exploitation or Neglect of a Vulnerable Adult.
(1) Any person who abuses or neglects a vulnerable adult under circumstances likely to produce great bodily harm or death is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than ten (10) years and not more than a twenty-five thousand dollar ($25,000) fine. (2) Any person who abuses or neglects a vulnerable adult under circumstances other than those likely to produce great bodily harm or death is guilty of a misdemeanor.
(3) Any person who exploits a vulnerable adult is guilty of a misdemeanor, unless the monetary damage from such exploitation exceeds one thousand dollars ($1,000), in which case the person is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than ten (10) years and not more than a twenty-five thousand dollar ($25,000) fine. (4) As used in this section:
(a) “Abuse” means the intentional or negligent infliction of physical pain, injury or mental injury. Intentional abuse shall be punished under subsection (1) or (2) of this section depending upon the harm inflicted. Abuse by negligent infliction shall only be punished under subsection (2) of this section.
(b) “Caretaker” means any individual or institution that is responsible by relationship, contract or court order to provide food, shelter or clothing, medical or other life-sustaining necessities to a vulnerable adult.
(c) “Exploitation” or “exploit” means an action which may include, but is not limited to, the unjust or improper use of a vulnerable adult’s financial power of attorney, funds, property or resources by another person for profit or advantage.
(d) “Neglect” means failure of a caretaker to provide food, clothing, shelter or medical care to a vulnerable adult, in such a manner as to jeopardize the life, health or safety of the vulnerable adult.
(e) “Vulnerable adult” means a person eighteen (18) years of age or older who is unable to protect himself from abuse, neglect or exploitation due to physical or mental impairment which affects the person’s judgment or behavior to the extent that he lacks sufficient understanding or capacity to make or communicate or implement decisions regarding his person, funds, property or resources. (5) Nothing in this section shall be construed to mean a person is abused, neglected or exploited for the sole reason he is relying upon treatment by spiritual means through prayer alone in accordance with the tenets and practices of a recognized church or religious denomination; nor shall the provisions of this section be construed to require any medical care or treatment in contravention of the stated or implied objection of such a person.
(6) Nothing in this section shall be construed to mean that an employer or supervisor of a person who abuses, exploits or neglects a vulnerable adult may be prosecuted unless there is direct evidence of a violation of this statute by the employer or supervisor. History:
[18-1505, added 1994, ch. 136, sec. 3, p. 309; am. 2005, ch. 166, sec. 1, p. 506; am. 2008, ch. 209, sec. 1, p. 662; am. 2009, ch. 71, sec. 1, p. 206; am. 2016, ch. 147, sec. 1, p. 415.]
Abandoning a Vulnerable Adult.
(1) Any person who abandons a vulnerable adult, as that term is defined in section 18-1505, Idaho Code, in deliberate disregard of the vulnerable adult’s safety or welfare, regardless of whether the vulnerable adult suffered physical harm from the act of abandonment, shall be guilty of a felony and shall be imprisoned in the state prison for a period not in excess of five (5) years, or by a fine not exceeding five thousand dollars ($5,000), or by both such fine and imprisonment. It shall not be a defense to prosecution under the provisions of this section that the perpetrator lacked the financial ability or means to provide food, clothing, shelter or medical care reasonably necessary to sustain the life and health of a vulnerable adult. (2) As used in this section “abandon” means the desertion or willful forsaking of a vulnerable adult by any individual, caretaker as defined by subsection (4)(b) of section 18-1505, Idaho Code, or entity which has assumed responsibility for the care of the vulnerable adult by contract, receipt of payment of care, any relationship arising from blood or marriage wherein the vulnerable adult has become the dependent of another or by order of a court of competent jurisdiction; provided that abandon shall not mean the termination of services to a vulnerable adult by a physician licensed under chapter 18, title 54, Idaho Code, or anyone under his direct supervision, where the physician determines, in the exercise of his professional judgment, that termination of such services is in the best interests of the patient. History:
[18-1505A, added 1993, ch. 179, sec. 1, p. 460; am. 1994, ch. 136, sec. 4, p. 309; am. 2005, ch. 166, sec. 2, p. 507.]
Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of a Vulnerable Adult.
(1) It is a felony for any person, with the intent of arousing, appealing to or gratifying the lust, passion or sexual desires of such person, a vulnerable adult or a third party, to: (a) Commit any lewd or lascivious act or acts upon or with the body or any part or member thereof of a vulnerable adult including, but not limited to: genital-genital contact, oral-genital contact, anal-genital contact, oral-anal contact, manual-anal contact or manual-genital contact, whether between persons of the same or opposite sex;
(b) Involve a vulnerable adult in any act of bestiality or sadomasochism as defined in section 18-1507, Idaho Code; or
(c) Cause or have sexual contact with a vulnerable adult, not amounting to lewd conduct as defined in paragraph (a) of this subsection. (2) For the purposes of this section:
(a) “Commercial purpose” means the intention, objective, anticipation or expectation of monetary gain or other material consideration, compensation, remuneration or profit.
(b) “Sexual contact” means any physical contact between a vulnerable adult and any person or between vulnerable adults, which is caused by the actor, or the actor causing the vulnerable adult to have self-contact;
(c) “Sexually exploitative material” means any image, photograph, motion picture, video, print, negative, slide or other mechanically, electronically, digitally or chemically produced or reproduced visual material that shows a vulnerable adult engaged in, participating in, observing or being used for explicit sexual conduct, or showing a vulnerable adult engaging in, participating in, observing or being used for explicit sexual conduct, in actual time, including, but not limited to, video chat, webcam sessions or video calling; and
(d) “Vulnerable adult” is as defined in section 18-1505, Idaho Code. (3) Sexual abuse of a vulnerable adult is a felony and shall be punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for a period not to exceed twenty-five (25) years or by a fine not to exceed twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000), or by both such fine and imprisonment. (4) It shall be a felony for any person to commit sexual exploitation of a vulnerable adult if, for any commercial purpose, he knowingly: (a) Causes, induces or permits a vulnerable adult to engage in or be used in any explicit sexual conduct as defined in section 18-1507, Idaho Code; or (b) Prepares, arranges for, publishes, produces, promotes, makes, sells, finances, offers, exhibits, advertises, deals in, possesses or distributes sexually exploitative material. (5) The possession by any person of three (3) or more identical copies of any sexually exploitative material shall create a presumption that such possession is for a commercial purpose. (6) Sexual exploitation of a vulnerable adult shall be punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for a period not to exceed fifteen (15) years or by a fine not to exceed twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000), or by both such fine and imprisonment. History:
[18-1505B, added 2005, ch. 216, sec. 1, p. 689; am. 2009, ch. 100, sec. 1, p. 309; am. 2012, ch. 269, sec. 1, p. 751.]