Cruelty to children; increases penalty to a Class 4 felony.

Cruelty to children; penalty. Increasesthe penalty from a Class 6 felony to a Class 4 felony for any personemploying or having custody of a child who willfully causes or permitssuch child to be tortured physically or psychologically, tormented,mutilated, beaten, or cruelly treated. The bill includes such offensein the definition of "violent felony" for purposes of determiningfelony sentencing guidelines. The bill also includes willful andnegligent acts of cruelty and injuries to children in offenses prohibitinga person from operating or residing in a family day home and, if suchoffense is in conjunction with a homicide, requiring registrationunder the Sex Offender and Crimes Against Minors Registry Act. Thebill moves the provisions criminalizing cruelty and injuries to childrenfrom Title 40.1 (Labor and Employment) to Title 18.2 (Crimes and Offenses Generally).