2023 Colorado Revised Statutes › Title 18 - CRIMINAL CODE (§§ 18-1-101 — 18-26-102) › Article 3 - OFFENSES AGAINST THE PERSON (§§ 18-3-101 — 18-3-602) › Part 4 - UNLAWFUL SEXUAL BEHAVIOR (§§ 18-3-401 — 18-3-418) › Section 18-3-404 - Unlawful sexual contact

(1)
Any actor who knowingly subjects a victim to any sexual contact commits unlawful sexual contact if:
(a)
The actor knows that the victim does not consent; or
(b)
The actor knows that the victim is incapable of appraising the nature of the victim's conduct; or
(c)
The victim is physically helpless and the actor knows that the victim is physically helpless and the victim has not consented; or
(d)
The actor has substantially impaired the victim's power to appraise or control the victim's conduct by employing, without the victim's consent, any drug, intoxicant, or other means for the purpose of causing submission; or
(e)
Repealed.
(f)
The victim is in custody of law or detained in a hospital or other institution and the actor has supervisory or disciplinary authority over the victim and uses this position of authority, unless incident to a lawful search, to coerce the victim to submit; or
(g)
The actor engages in treatment or examination of a victim for other than bona fide medical purposes or in a manner substantially inconsistent with reasonable medical practices.
(1.5)
Any person who knowingly, with or without sexual contact, induces or coerces a child by any of the means set forth in section
18-3-402
to expose intimate parts or to engage in any sexual contact, intrusion, or penetration with another person, for the purpose of the actor's own sexual gratification, commits unlawful sexual contact. For the purposes of this subsection (1.5), the term "child" means any person under the age of eighteen years.
(1.7)
Repealed.
(2)
(a)
Unlawful sexual contact is a class 1 misdemeanor.
(b)
Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (a) of this subsection (2), unlawful sexual contact is a class 4 felony if the actor compels the victim to submit by use of such force, intimidation, or threat as specified in section
18-3-402 (4)(a), (4)(b), or (4)(c)
or if the actor engages in the conduct described in paragraph (g) of subsection (1) of this section or subsection (1.5) of this section.
(3)
If a defendant is convicted of the class 4 felony of unlawful sexual contact pursuant to paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of this section, the court shall sentence the defendant in accordance with the provisions of section
18-1.3-406
; except that this subsection (3) shall not apply if the actor engages in the conduct described in paragraph (g) of subsection (1) of this section.
(4)
A person who is convicted on or after July 1, 2013, of unlawful sexual contact under this section, upon conviction, shall be advised by the court that the person has no right:
(a)
To notification of the termination of parental rights and no standing to object to the termination of parental rights for a child conceived as a result of the commission of that offense;
(b)
To allocation of parental responsibilities, including parenting time and decision-making responsibilities for a child conceived as a result of the commission of that offense;
(c)
Of inheritance from a child conceived as a result of the commission of that offense; and
(d)
To notification of or the right to object to the adoption of a child conceived as a result of the commission of that offense.
Amended by 2021 Ch. 462, § 198, eff. 3/1/2022.
Amended by 2013 Ch. 353, § 7, eff. 7/1/2013.
L. 75: Entire part R&RE, p. 629, § 1, effective July 1. L. 77: IP(1) amended, p. 962, § 17, effective July 1. L. 86: (3) added, p. 777, § 6, effective July 1. L. 89: (1.5) added and (2) and (3) amended, p. 830, § 41, effective July 1. L. 90: (1)(e) repealed, p. 1033, § 25, effective July 1. L. 91: (3) amended, p. 1912, § 21, effective June 1. L. 92: (1.5) amended and (1.7) added, p. 404, § 15, effective June 3. L. 94: (1.5) and (1.7) amended, p. 1717, § 9, effective July 1. L. 95: (3) amended, p. 1252, § 10, effective July 1. L. 96: (1.7) amended, p. 1581, § 4, effective July 1. L. 2000: IP(1), (1.5), (1.7), (2), and (3) amended, p. 700, § 20, effective July 1. L. 2002: (3) amended, p. 1513, § 190, effective October 1. L. 2004: (2) and (3) amended, p. 635, § 6, effective August 4. L. 2010: (1.7)(b) added by revision, (SB 10-128), ch. 415, pp. 2045, 2049, §§ 1, 12. L. 2013: (4) added, (SB 13-227), ch. 2060, p. 2060, § 7, effective July 1. L. 2021: (2)(a) amended, (SB 21-271), ch. 3174, p. 3174, § 198, effective 3/1/2022.
(1) This section is similar to former §§ 18-3-403, 18-3-404, and 18-3-410 as they existed prior to 1975.
(2) Subsection (1.7)(b) provided for the repeal of subsection (1.7), effective July 1, 2012. (See L. 2010, pp. 2045, 2049.)
(3) Section 803(2) of chapter 462 (SB 21-271), Session Laws of Colorado 2021, provides that the act changing this section applies to offenses committed on or after March 1, 2022.
2021 Ch. 462, was passed without a safety clause. See Colo. Const. art. V, § 1(3).
For the legislative declaration contained in the 2002 act amending subsection (3), see section 1 of chapter 318, Session Laws of Colorado 2002.