Wyoming law makes repeated grooming of minors a felony

An adult commits a felony by purposely or knowingly carrying out a pattern of grooming a minor with one of the listed intents. Grooming can involve online or in-person behavior, trust-building, or using other people or indirect methods to prepare, induce, or persuade a minor to engage in sexual conduct or exploitation. The person must be at least 18 and at least four years older than the minor. The person must intend to manipulate the minor into sexual conduct, get the minor to meet for sexual conduct, share or provide access to sexually explicit material, or use a position of authority to develop an intimate or secretive relationship. The law takes effect immediately once the steps required for it to become law are complete.

Felony prison and fine limits vary with the minor's age and whether the offender held a position of authority over the minor. These limits apply to a person found guilty of grooming a minor for a sexual offense under this law. For a minor older than 12 but younger than 16, the maximum is 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine; for a minor younger than 12, it is 15 years and $15,000. For an offender in a position of authority, the maximum is 10 years and $10,000, or, if the minor is between 12 and 16, 20 years and $20,000, or, if the minor is younger than 12, 30 years and $30,000. In other cases, the maximum is 5 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. A court may impose prison, a fine, or both.

A person found guilty under this law must complete an approved treatment program and be subject to probation for up to 10 years. These requirements apply to a person found guilty of grooming a minor for a sexual offense under this section. The Department of Corrections must provide or approve the treatment program.

During the required registration period, a person convicted under this law must report their current address in person to the county sheriff each year; the sheriff must photograph them and send the photo and confirmation to the state division. This annual check applies while the person is required to register as an offender. A person without an established residence or who is transient meets the address-check requirement by reporting to the sheriff as otherwise required. The sheriff must send the confirmation and photo within three working days after the in-person check.