1. At common law, the crime of forcibly abducting a person from his or her own country and sending the person to another. • This offense amounted to false imprisonment aggravated by moving the victim to another country.
2. The crime of seizing and taking away a person by force or fraud.
— Also termed simple kidnapping; (loosely) abduction; (archaically) manstealing. See ABDUCTION. [Cases: Kidnapping
1. C.J.S. Kidnapping §§ 1–2.]
“At early common law, kidnapping required a forcible asportation of the victim to another country. Under modern statutes, the asportation need not be this extensive.” Arnold H. Loewy, Criminal Law in a Nutshell 64 (2d ed. 1987).
aggravated kidnapping. Kidnapping accompanied by some aggravating factor (such as a demand for ransom or injury of the victim).
child-kidnapping. The kidnapping of a minor, often without the element of force or fraud (as when someone walks off with another’s baby).
— Also termed child-stealing; baby-snatching; childnapping.
kidnapping for ransom. The offense of unlawfully seizing a person and then confining the person, usu. in a secret place, while attempting to extort ransom. • This grave crime is sometimes made a capital offense. In addition to the abductor, a person who acts as a go-between to collect the ransom is generally considered guilty of the crime.
parental kidnapping. The kidnapping of a child by one parent in violation of the other parent’s custody or visitation rights. See PARENTAL KIDNAPPING PREVENTION ACT.
simple kidnapping. Kidnapping not accompanied by an aggravating factor.
