Texas § PE.20.06 - CONTINUOUS SMUGGLING OF PERSONS

§ PE.20.06. CONTINUOUS SMUGGLING OF PERSONS

CONTINUOUS SMUGGLING OF PERSONS. (a) A person commits an offense if, during a period that is 10 or more days in duration, the person engages two or more times in conduct that constitutes an offense under Section 20.05 . (b) If a jury is the trier of fact, members of the jury are not required to agree unanimously on which specific conduct engaged in by the defendant constituted an offense under Section 20.05 or on which exact date the defendant engaged in that conduct. The jury must agree unanimously that the defendant, during a period that is 10 or more days in duration, engaged two or more times in conduct that constitutes an offense under Section 20.05 . (c) If the victim of an offense under Subsection (a) is the same victim as a victim of an offense under Section 20.05 , a defendant may not be convicted of the offense under Section 20.05 in the same criminal action as the offense under Subsection (a), unless the offense under Section 20.05 : (1) is charged in the alternative; (2) occurred outside the period in which the offense alleged under Subsection (a) was committed; or (3) is considered by the trier of fact to be a lesser included offense of the offense alleged under Subsection (a). (d) A defendant may not be charged with more than one count under Subsection (a) if all of the conduct that constitutes an offense under Section 20.05 is alleged to have been committed against the same victim. (e) Except as provided by Subsections (f) and (g), an offense under this section is a felony of the second degree with a minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years. (f) An offense under this section is a felony of the first degree with a minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years if: (1) the conduct constituting an offense under Section 20.05 is conducted in a manner that creates a substantial likelihood that the smuggled individual will suffer serious bodily injury or death; or (2) the smuggled individual is a child younger than 18 years of age at the time of the offense. (g) An offense under this section is a felony of the first degree, punishable by imprisonment in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for life or for any term of not more than 99 years or less than 25 years, if: (1) it is shown on the trial of the offense that, as a direct result of the commission of the offense, the smuggled individual became a victim of sexual assault, as defined by Section 22.011 , or aggravated sexual assault, as defined by Section 22.021 ; or (2) the smuggled individual suffered serious bodily injury or death. Added by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 333 (H.B. 11 ), Sec. 15, eff. September 1, 2015. Amended by: Acts 2023, 88th Leg., 3rd C.S., Ch. 2 (S.B. 4 ), Sec. 4, eff. February 6, 2024.