In the state of Utah, it is a felony for an adult to reach out to a minor via text to meet up and have sexual relations.

Last week, the West Virginia Child Advocacy Network released its annual statewide data report for the 2024 fiscal year.

“There’s a lot of kids that are otherwise going to be out ... isolating,” she said of when a minor is engaged in the criminal justice system, adding, “There’s not a clear pathway to ...

This is a criminal justice and human rights issue ... It doesn’t work for kids.” Warnken described the state as a national outlier when it comes to automatically charging children as adults.