2023 Oklahoma Statutes › Title 21. Crimes and Punishments › §21-866. Elements of offense.

A. 1. The crime of trafficking in children is defined to consist of any of the following acts or any part thereof:
a.
the acceptance, solicitation, offer, payment or transfer of any compensation, in money, property or other thing of value, at any time, by any person in connection with the acquisition or transfer of the legal or physical custody or adoption of a minor child, except as ordered by the court or except as otherwise provided by Section 7505-3.2 of Title 10 of the Oklahoma Statutes,
b.
the acceptance or solicitation of any compensation, in money, property or other thing of value, by any person or organization for services performed, rendered or purported to be performed to facilitate or assist in the adoption or foster care placement of a minor child, except by the Department of Human Services, a child-placing agency licensed in Oklahoma pursuant to the Oklahoma Child Care Facilities Licensing Act, or an attorney authorized to practice law in Oklahoma. The provisions of this paragraph shall not prohibit an attorney licensed to practice law in another state or an out-of-state licensed child-placing agency from receiving compensation when working with an attorney licensed in this state who is, or when working with a child-placing agency licensed in this state which is, providing adoption services or other services necessary for placing a child in an adoptive arrangement,
c.
bringing or causing to be brought into this state or sending or causing to be sent outside this state any child for the purpose of placing such child in a foster home or for the adoption thereof and thereafter refusing to comply upon request with the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children. Provided, however, that this provision shall have no application to the parent or guardian of the child nor to a person bringing said child into this state for the purpose of adopting the child into such person's own family,
d.
the solicitation or receipt of any money or any other thing of value for expenses related to the placement of a child for the purpose of an adoption by the birth parent of the child who at the time of the solicitation or receipt had no intent to consent to eventual adoption,
e.
the solicitation or receipt of any money or any other thing of value for expenses related to the placement of a child for adoption by a woman who knows she is not pregnant but who holds herself out to be pregnant and offers to place a child upon birth for adoption,
f.
(1)
the receipt of any money or any other thing of value for expenses related to the placement of a child for adoption by a birth parent, child-placing agency or attorney who receives, from one or more parties, any money or any other thing of value without disclosing to each prospective adoptive parent, child-placing agency, and attorney the receipt of any money or any other thing of value immediately upon receipt,
(2)
the solicitation or receipt of any money or any other thing of value by a birth parent, an attorney or child-placing agency for expenses related to the placement of a child for the purpose of adoption from more than one prospective adoptive family for the adoption of one child. A birth parent, child-placing agency or attorney shall not represent that a child is, or will be, available for adoption to more than one prospective adoptive family at one time,
g.
advertising of services for compensation to assist with or effect the placement of a child for adoption or for care in a foster home by any person or organization except by the Department of Human Services, or a child-placing agency licensed in this state. Nothing in this paragraph shall prohibit an attorney authorized to practice law in Oklahoma from the advertisement of legal services related to the adoption of children, and
h.
advertisements for and solicitation of a woman who is pregnant to induce her to place her child upon birth for adoption, except by a child-placing agency licensed in this state or an attorney authorized to practice law in Oklahoma. Nothing in this section shall prohibit a person from advertising to solicit a pregnant woman to consider adoptive placement with the person or to locate a child for an adoptive placement into the person's own home, provided that such person has received a favorable preplacement home study recommendation in accordance with Section 7505-5.1 of Title 10 of the Oklahoma Statutes, which shall be verified by the signed written statement of the person or agency which performed the home study, and provided that no money or other thing of value is offered as part of such an inducement except as ordered by the court or except as otherwise provided by Section 7505-3.2 of Title 10 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
2.
a.
Except as otherwise provided by this section, the violation of any of the subparagraphs in paragraph 1 of this subsection shall constitute a felony and shall be punishable by imprisonment of up to ten (10) years or a fine of up to Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) per violation or both such fine and imprisonment.
b.
Prospective adoptive parents who violate subparagraph a of paragraph 1 of this subsection, upon conviction thereof, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and may be punished by a fine not to exceed Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) per violation.
B. 1. No person shall knowingly publish for circulation within the borders of the State of Oklahoma an advertisement of any kind in any print, broadcast or electronic medium, including, but not limited to, newspapers, magazines, telephone directories, handbills, radio or television, which violates subparagraph g or h of paragraph 1 of subsection A of this section.
2. Any person violating the provisions of this subsection shall, upon conviction thereof, be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine not to exceed Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) per violation.
C. The payment or acceptance of costs and expenses listed in Section 7505-3.2 of Title 10 of the Oklahoma Statutes shall not be a violation of this section as long as the petitioner or birth parent has complied with the applicable procedure specified in Section 7505-3.2 of Title 10 of the Oklahoma Statutes and such costs and expenses are approved by the court.
D. Any person knowingly failing to file an affidavit of all adoption costs and expenses before the final decree of adoption as required by Sections 7505-3.2 and 7505-6.2 of Title 10 of the Oklahoma Statutes shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
Added by Laws 1957, p. 164, §2. Amended by Laws 1965, c. 166, § 1, emerg. eff. June 2, 1965; Laws 1985, c. 309, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 1985; Laws 1987, c. 226, § 10, operative July 1, 1987; Laws 1997, c. 366, § 57, eff. Nov. 1, 1997; Laws 1998, c. 415, § 41, emerg. eff. June 11, 1998; Laws 2006, c. 253, § 3, eff. July 1, 2006; Laws 2009, c. 107, § 4, eff. Nov. 1, 2009; Laws 2011, c. 371, § 9, eff. Nov. 1, 2011.