SC should pass law against child luring, Rep. Mace says after recent Lowcountry incidents

South Carolina’s U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace is urging former colleagues in the S.C. State House to fix a gap in the law that has historically allowed adults to attempt to lure children away from their parents with impunity.

Following a recent incident in the Lowcountry where a man allegedly attempted to separately lure two children to go fishing, Mace is calling on South Carolina lawmakers to pass a bill ⏤ H. 3015 ⏤ that would make it a crime for an adult to attempt to lure a child into a car, house or any type of building without parental consent.

“Hearing a man in the Lowcountry allegedly tried to lure kids into his car this past weekend but there is no law in South Carolina preventing it,” Mace, a Charleston-area Republican, said on the social media platform X. “Child predators should be thrown in jail in South Carolina.”

South Carolina is one of a handful of states that doesn’t have a law against child luring, which has resulted in several cases where men who were identified as attempting to lure children into their vehicles have avoided criminal charges.

Over the weekend, in Mount Pleasant, a man reportedly attempted to lure away two boys on two separate occasions in the same day from the Pitt Street bridge. The man was ultimately identified and reported to police, who are currently investigating the incident, according to a News 2 report.

In 2018, when a similar incident occurred in the same town, the accused escaped prosecution.

In light of these repeated attempts, concerned parents recently began a petition urging state Rep. Weston Newton, R-Beaufort, as chair of the House Judiciary Committee to pass H. 3015.

“There is a history of people crossing into S.C. from other states because they understand this loophole,” the petition reads. “Documented reports of individuals luring children with a puppy, a bucket of gum from a U-haul van, etc. and law enforcement has historically been unable to file charges because of this gap in our laws.”

Newton said that he recently became aware of petition and the the contents of H. 3015 and intends to assign a subcommittee to the measure at the start of the next legislative session in January 2024.

”Today more than ever, I appreciate the efforts of people that take the time and effort to make our state a safer place to live and raise families. I’ve got young children as well,” Newton told The State in response to the petition, adding that he’s unaware of any opposition to the bill but that there have been some questions about redundancy as it relates to the state’s kidnapping and attempted kidnapping laws that already exist.

Shortly following the 2018 incident, Mace introduced a child luring law while serving as a S.C. state representative, alongside state Rep. Lee Hewitt, R-Georgetown. Because of setbacks caused by the pandemic and changes in leadership over the House Judiciary Committee, the measure stalled.

“To me it’s a gap in the law where we need to try and figure out something because our kids are the most precious things that we can have,” Hewitt said Wednesday. “To have a situation where somebody can ride around and just try and lure kids into a bad situation, without any penalties for that, I think is wrong.”

Although no longer a member of the S.C. House, Mace, with Hewitt, is reviving her push for the bill, while calling her constituents into action.

“It must be passed immediately when the S.C. legislature returns to session,” Mace said on X, referring to H. 3015. “I’ll be making calls, and encourage you to do so as well.”

Under the bill, any adult who attempts to lure a child without parental consent would be guilty of a misdemeanor subject to a fine up to $500 or one year in jail. For a second offense, or subsequent offense, it would also be a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, result in a fine up to $1,000, three years in jail or both.

If a person tries to lure a child under the age of 13, the penalties would be heightened. A first offense would be a felony, mandating a fine up to $5,000 or five years in jail. For a second offense, penalties include a fine up to $10,000, up to 10 years in prison, or both.

“I’m sorry it took another incident like this to get this conversation going again,” Hewitt told The State, referring to the Pitt Street bridge episode, adding that he hopes the recent occurrence will prompt action on the bill in the House at start of the legislative session next year.

Newton confirmed that it will.

“It’s not as if it’s being held back for any reason,” Newton said. “When we reconvene in January, it will be one of the matters identified for the criminal law subcommittee of judiciary to take up for a hearing.”