{"identifier":"/us/usc/t18/s2442","title":18,"num":"\u00a7\u202f2442.","heading":"Recruitment or use of child soldiers","text":"\u00a7\u202f2442.\nRecruitment or use of child soldiers\n(a)\nOffense.\u2014\nWhoever knowingly\u2014\n(1) recruits, enlists, or conscripts a person to serve while such person is under 15 years of age in an armed force or group; or\n(2) uses a person under 15 years of age to participate actively in hostilities;\nknowing such person is under 15 years of age, shall be punished as provided in subsection (b).\n(b)\nPenalty.\u2014\nWhoever violates, or attempts or conspires to violate, subsection (a) shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both and, if death of any person results, shall be fined under this title and imprisoned for any term of years or for life.\n(c)\nJurisdiction.\u2014\nThere is jurisdiction over an offense described in subsection (a), and any attempt or conspiracy to commit such offense, if\u2014\n(1) the alleged offender is a national of the United States (as defined in section 101(a)(22) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (\n8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(22)\n8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(20)\n1\n1 So in original. An additional closing parenthesis probably should precede the semicolon.\n(2) the alleged offender is a stateless person whose habitual residence is in the United States;\n(3) the alleged offender is present in the United States, irrespective of the nationality of the alleged offender; or\n(4) the offense occurs in whole or in part within the United States.\n(d)\nDefinitions.\u2014\nIn this section:\n(1)\nParticipate actively in hostilities.\u2014\nThe term \u201cparticipate actively in hostilities\u201d means taking part in\u2014\n(A) combat or military activities related to combat, including sabotage and serving as a decoy, a courier, or at a military checkpoint; or\n(B) direct support functions related to combat, including transporting supplies or providing other services.\n(2)\nArmed force or group.\u2014\nThe term \u201carmed force or group\u201d means any army, militia, or other military organization, whether or not it is state-sponsored, excluding any group assembled solely for nonviolent political association.","url":"https://projectusc.org/usc/t18/s2442.html","content":[{"t":"sec","id":"/us/usc/t18/s2442","children":[{"t":"num","text":"\u00a7\u202f2442."},{"t":"heading","text":"Recruitment or use of child soldiers"},{"t":"subsec","id":"/us/usc/t18/s2442/a","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(a)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Offense.\u2014"},{"t":"chapeau","text":"Whoever knowingly\u2014"},{"t":"para","id":"/us/usc/t18/s2442/a/1","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(1)"},{"t":"content","text":" recruits, enlists, or conscripts a person to serve while such person is under 15 years of age in an armed force or group; or","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"para","id":"/us/usc/t18/s2442/a/2","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(2)"},{"t":"content","text":" uses a person under 15 years of age to participate actively in hostilities;","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n\n"},{"t":"continuation","text":"knowing such person is under 15 years of age, shall be punished as provided in subsection (b).","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"subsec","id":"/us/usc/t18/s2442/b","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(b)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Penalty.\u2014"},{"t":"content","text":"Whoever violates, or attempts or conspires to violate, subsection (a) shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both and, if death of any person results, shall be fined under this title and imprisoned for any term of years or for life.","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"subsec","id":"/us/usc/t18/s2442/c","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(c)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Jurisdiction.\u2014"},{"t":"chapeau","text":"There is jurisdiction over an offense described in subsection (a), and any attempt or conspiracy to commit such offense, if\u2014"},{"t":"para","id":"/us/usc/t18/s2442/c/1","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(1)"},{"t":"content","text":" the alleged offender is a national of the United States (as defined in section 101(a)(22) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (","children":[{"t":"ref","text":"8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(22)","href":"/us/usc/t8/s1101/a/22","tail":")) or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States (as defined in section 101(a)(20) of such Act ("},{"t":"ref","text":"8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(20)","href":"/us/usc/t8/s1101/a/20","tail":");\u202f"},{"t":"ref","text":"1"},{"t":"num","text":"1","tail":"\u202fSo in original. An additional closing parenthesis probably should precede the semicolon."},{"t":"text","text":"\u202fSo in original. An additional closing parenthesis probably should precede the semicolon."}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"para","id":"/us/usc/t18/s2442/c/2","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(2)"},{"t":"content","text":" the alleged offender is a stateless person whose habitual residence is in the United States;","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"para","id":"/us/usc/t18/s2442/c/3","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(3)"},{"t":"content","text":" the alleged offender is present in the United States, irrespective of the nationality of the alleged offender; or","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"para","id":"/us/usc/t18/s2442/c/4","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(4)"},{"t":"content","text":" the offense occurs in whole or in part within the United States.","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"subsec","id":"/us/usc/t18/s2442/d","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(d)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Definitions.\u2014"},{"t":"chapeau","text":"In this section:"},{"t":"para","id":"/us/usc/t18/s2442/d/1","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(1)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Participate actively in hostilities.\u2014"},{"t":"chapeau","text":"The term \u201cparticipate actively in hostilities\u201d means taking part in\u2014"},{"t":"subpara","id":"/us/usc/t18/s2442/d/1/A","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(A)"},{"t":"content","text":" combat or military activities related to combat, including sabotage and serving as a decoy, a courier, or at a military checkpoint; or","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"subpara","id":"/us/usc/t18/s2442/d/1/B","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(B)"},{"t":"content","text":" direct support functions related to combat, including transporting supplies or providing other services.","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"para","id":"/us/usc/t18/s2442/d/2","children":[{"t":"num","text":"(2)"},{"t":"heading","text":"Armed force or group.\u2014"},{"t":"content","text":"The term \u201carmed force or group\u201d means any army, militia, or other military organization, whether or not it is state-sponsored, excluding any group assembled solely for nonviolent political association.","tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"}],"tail":"\n"},{"t":"text","text":"\n"}]}]}