Minnesota has enacted a new law making the grooming of minors for sexual purposes a felony offense, marking a significant expansion of the state’s child protection framework following a bipartisan legislative effort driven largely by survivor testimony and investigative reporting.
Gov. Tim Walz signed the legislation Wednesday after it passed unanimously through both chambers of the Minnesota Legislature, including a 133-0 vote in the Minnesota House.
The law emerged after public attention intensified around the case of Hannah LoPresto, who told WCCO-TV that she had been groomed and sexually abused by a former high school band director. Although LoPresto publicly detailed years of alleged manipulation and abuse, criminal charges were ultimately not filed in the case, a reality supporters of the legislation argued exposed gaps in existing Minnesota law.
Under previous statutes, prosecutors often faced challenges pursuing criminal cases involving predatory conduct unless investigators could establish provable acts of criminal sexual behavior meeting existing legal thresholds.
The newly signed law creates a standalone felony offense specifically targeting grooming behavior directed toward minors for sexual purposes. Supporters of the bill said the legislation is intended to address patterns of manipulation and emotional conditioning that frequently precede abuse but historically existed in a difficult area for prosecution.
Child protection experts and investigators generally define grooming as a gradual process in which an adult builds trust, creates emotional dependency, isolates a minor, or normalizes increasingly inappropriate behavior in preparation for exploitation or abuse.
The legislation was chief-sponsored by Peggy Bennett, a Republican from Albert Lea, and Erin Maye Quade, a DFL senator from Apple Valley.
During committee hearings and floor debate, lawmakers from both parties described the bill as an effort to strengthen Minnesota’s ability to intervene earlier in situations involving predatory behavior toward children.
“This is a good bill,” DFL Rep. Sydney Jordan said during House debate prior to final passage.
Rep. Bennett described the legislation as a direct warning to predators targeting children.
“To those sexual predators who are going after our children, I want this bill to put you on notice,” Bennett said. “We’re coming after you.”
In addition to creating the felony offense, the law expands several areas of state oversight involving schools and student safety.
The legislation mandates automatic denial or permanent revocation of teaching licenses for educators or school personnel convicted under the statute. It also expands investigative authority for the Minnesota Department of Education by allowing student maltreatment investigations involving grooming allegations to proceed beyond the previous three-year look-back limitation.
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