Missouri Laws 566.203 – Abusing an individual through forced labor — penalty
1. A person commits the offense of abusing an individual through forced labor by knowingly providing or obtaining the labor or services of a person:
(1) By causing or threatening to cause serious physical injury to any person;
Attorney's Note
Under the Missouri Laws, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Class B felony | between 5 and 15 years |
Terms Used In Missouri Laws 566.203
- Forced labor: a condition of servitude induced by means of:
(a) Any scheme, plan, or pattern of behavior intended to cause a person to believe that, if the person does not enter into or continue the servitude, such person or another person will suffer substantial bodily harm or physical restraint. See Missouri Laws 566.010
- person: may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, and to partnerships and other unincorporated associations. See Missouri Laws 1.020
(2) By physically restraining or threatening to physically restrain another person;
(3) By blackmail;
(4) By means of any scheme, plan, or pattern of behavior intended to cause such person to believe that, if the person does not perform the labor services, the person or another person will suffer serious physical injury, physical restraint, or financial harm; or
(5) By means of the abuse or threatened abuse of the law or the legal process.
2. A person who is found guilty of the crime of abuse through forced labor shall not be required to register as a sexual offender pursuant to the provisions of section 589.400, unless such person is otherwise required to register pursuant to the provisions of such section.
3. The offense of abuse through forced labor is a felony punishable by imprisonment for a term of years not less than five years and not more than twenty years and a fine not to exceed two hundred fifty thousand dollars. If death results from a violation of this section, or if the violation includes kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, sexual abuse when punishable as a class B felony, or an attempt to commit sexual abuse when punishable as a class B felony, or an attempt to kill, it shall be punishable for a term of years not less than five years or life and a fine not to exceed two hundred fifty thousand dollars.