In California Penal Code 278 PC, there are the four elements of child abduction: 1. The defendant maliciously took or withheld a child from their lawful custodian. The important word here is “maliciously” — the prosecution has to prove that you intentionally meant to disturb, defraud or injure someone else. 2. The child was under the age of 18. If the alleged victim was 18 or older at the time, the case instead could fall under kidnapping or false imprisonment. 3. The defendant did not have a right to custody when they acted.  4. The defendant intended to detain or conceal the child from the child’s lawful custodian. In other words, when the defendant acted, they meant to deprive the child from contact with their legal guardian or custodian.