18 USC § 2258 - Failure to report child abuse

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t18/s2258"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "18 USC § 2258 - Failure to report child abuse"
title_number: 18
title_name: "CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE"
section_number: "2258"
section_name: "Failure to report child abuse"
chapter_number: 110
chapter_name: "SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND OTHER ABUSE OF CHILDREN"
part_number: "I"
part_name: "CRIMES"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-21"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Added Pub. L. 101–647, title II, § 226(g)(1), Nov. 29, 1990, 104 Stat. 4808; amended Pub. L. 109–248, title II, § 209, July 27, 2006, 120 Stat. 615; Pub. L. 115–126, title I, § 101(b), Feb. 14, 2018, 132 Stat. 319.)"
---


# § 2258. Failure to report child abuse

A person who, while engaged in a professional capacity or activity described in subsection (b) of section 226 of the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 on Federal land or in a federally operated (or contracted) facility, or a covered individual as described in subsection (a)(2) of such section 226 who, learns of facts that give reason to suspect that a child has suffered an incident of child abuse, as defined in subsection (c) of that section, and fails to make a timely report as required by subsection (a) of that section, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 1 year or both.

---

**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 101–647, title II, § 226(g)(1), Nov. 29, 1990, 104 Stat. 4808; amended Pub. L. 109–248, title II, § 209, July 27, 2006, 120 Stat. 615; Pub. L. 115–126, title I, § 101(b), Feb. 14, 2018, 132 Stat. 319.)

## Editorial Notes

### References in Text

Section 226 of the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990, referred to in text, is classified to , Crime Control and Law Enforcement.

### Codification

Another section 2258 was renumbered .

### Amendments

2018— inserted “or a covered individual as described in subsection (a)(2) of such section 226 who,” after “facility,”.

2006— substituted “fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 1 year or both” for “guilty of a Class B misdemeanor”.