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Legal Information: West Virginia

West Virginia Crimes

Laws current as of
April 1, 2024

Crimes

Even if you do not qualify for a protective order, the abuser may have committed a crime. If you call the police, they may arrest him/her for a crime and you may get a restraining order through the criminal court. Remember that even if you do have a protective order, you can still report him/her to the police if you believe s/he committed a crime against you.

In our Abuse Using Technology section, you can learn the types of behaviors that are considered a misuse of technology. Some of these behaviors might be recognized as a crime depending on the specific laws of your state.

What are some crimes that the abuser may have committed in West Virginia?
If I am the victim of a crime, where can I get additional help in West Virginia?

What are some crimes that the abuser may have committed in West Virginia?

Here is a list of some possible crimes in West Virginia that the abuser may have committed. You can click on the links to read the legal definition of each crime on our State Statutes page:

Statute Crime (click here to sort the list alphabetically by crime names)
61-2-9 Malicious or unlawful assault; assault; battery
61-2-9a Harassment
61-2-9a Stalking
61-2-9d Strangulation; suffocation and asphyxiation
61-2-14a Kidnapping
61-2-14d Concealment or removal of minor child from custodian or from person entitled to visitation
61-2-28 Domestic violence
61-2-29 Abuse or neglect of incapacitated adult
61-2-29b Financial exploitation of an elderly person, protected person, or incapacitated adult
61-3-54 Identity theft
61-3C-14a Obscene, anonymous, harassing and threatening communications by computer, cell phones and electronic communication devices
61-6-25 Falsely reporting child abuse
61-8-9 Indecent exposure
61-8-12 Incest
61-8-16 Obscene, anonymous, harassing, repeated and threatening telephone calls
61-8-28 Criminal invasion of privacy
61-8-28a Nonconsensual disclosure of private intimate images
61-8A-2 Distribution and display to minor of obscene matter
61-8A-4 Use of obscene matter with intent to seduce minor
61-8A-5 Employment or use of minor to produce obscene matter or assist in doing sexually explicit conduct
61-8B-3 Sexual assault in the first degree
61-8B-4 Sexual assault in the second degree
61-8B-5 Sexual assault in the third degree
61-8B-7 Sexual abuse in the first degree
61-8B-8 Sexual abuse in the second degree
61-8B-9 Sexual abuse in the third degree
61-8C-2 Use of minors in filming sexually explicit conduct prohibited
61-8C-3 Distribution and exhibiting of material depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct prohibited
61-8D-3a Female genital mutilation
61-8D-5 Sexual abuse by a parent, guardian, custodian or person in a position of trust to a child
61-8D-6 Sending, distributing, exhibiting, possessing, displaying or transporting material by a parent, guardian or custodian, depicting a child engaged in sexually explicit conduct

If I am the victim of a crime, where can I get additional help in West Virginia?

The State of West Virginia runs a Victim Assistance Program, which provides information on victims’ rights and services.

For information on victims’ compensation in West Virginia, visit the Crime Victims Compensation Fund website.

If you are a victim of domestic violence and have been charged with a crime, you can go to our Abuse Victims Charged with Crimes page.

Other organizations for victims of crime are listed on our National Organizations - Crime Victims page.