A. Any parent of any child or children under the age of ten (10) years, and every person to whom such child or children have been confided for nurture or education, who deserts such child or children within this state, or takes such child or children without this state, with the intent wholly to abandon it shall be deemed guilty of a Class B4 felony offense and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by imprisonment in the State Penitentiary for any period of time not less than one (1) year nor more than ten (10) years.

B. It is an affirmative defense to a prosecution under this section that a parent voluntarily delivered a child under the age of thirty (30) days to and left the child with, or voluntarily arranged for another person to deliver a child to and leave the child with, a medical services provider or child rescuer as provided in Section 1-2-109 of Title 10A of the Oklahoma Statutes.

Historical Data

R.L. 1910, § 2433; Amended by Laws 1923, SB 200, c. 78, p. 143, § 1, emerg. eff. March 28, 1923; Amended by Laws 1997, HB 1213, c. 133, § 250 (effective date amended to July 1, 1999, by Laws 1998, 1st Extr. Sess., HB 1002, c. 2, §§ 23-26, emerg. eff. June 19, 1998) (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 1999, 1st Extr. Sess., HB 1009, c. 5, § 154, emerg. eff. July 1, 1999 (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 2021, SB 960, c. 313, § 2, emerg. eff. July 1, 2021 (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 2025, HB 2104, c. 486, § 104, eff. January 1, 2026 (superseded document available).