Statutes: Pennsylvania

(a) Offense defined.–A person who removes a child from the child’s known place of residence with the intent to conceal the child’s whereabouts from the child’s parent or guardian, unless concealment is authorized by court order or is a reasonable response to domestic violence or child abuse, commits a felony of the third degree. For purposes of this subsection, the term “removes” includes personally removing the child from the child’s known place of residence, causing the child to be removed from the child’s known place of residence, preventing the child from returning or being returned to the child’s known place of residence and, when the child’s parent or guardian has a reasonable expectation that the person will return the child, failing to return the child to the child’s known place of residence.

(b) Application.–A person may be convicted under subsection (a) if either of the following apply:

(1) The acts that initiated the concealment occurred in this Commonwealth.

(2) The offender or the parent or guardian from whom the child is being concealed resides in this Commonwealth.