The criminal offense of lewd acts with a minor, or lewd and lascivious acts with a minor, is generally committed when (1) the offender touches the child’s body or gets the child to touch the child’s body, the offender’s body, or someone else; (2) the touching occurs on bare skin or through clothing; (3) the touching was for sexual reasons; and (4) the child was under 14 years of age.

Laws regarding lewd acts with a minor vary from state to state, including the required age of the child and the required elements of the criminal offense. And some states classify the criminal offense of lewd acts with minor as the criminal offense of indecency with a minor, or lewd or indecent proposals or acts to a child, or a similar offense.

Some states have expanded the definition of these laws to include looking at the body or private parts of a child in a sexual manner, or causing or forcing a child to witness sex acts in the presence of the child. These states prosecute persons who engage in such activity in online video chat rooms for this criminal offense.

The criminal offense of lewd acts with a minor (or similar offense) is generally located in a state’s statutes—often in the penal or criminal code.

In Missouri, the criminal offense of lewd acts with a minor is addressed under the state's statutes concerning sexual offenses involving children. Specifically, Missouri law criminalizes 'statutory sodomy,' 'child molestation,' and 'use of a child in a sexual performance' among other related offenses. Under Missouri Revised Statutes Section 566.067, child molestation in the first degree occurs when a person subjects a child who is less than 14 years old to sexual contact when the actor is at least four years older than the child. Sexual contact is defined as any touching of the sexual or other intimate parts of a child or the perpetrator for the purpose of arousing or gratifying sexual desire. The law applies to touching that occurs either on bare skin or through clothing. Additionally, Missouri law under Section 566.083 also prohibits 'enticement of a child,' which includes persuading, soliciting, coxing, or enticing a child to engage in any sexual conduct. The state may also prosecute individuals who engage in inappropriate conduct with minors over the internet, such as in online video chat rooms, under its child enticement and child pornography laws. These offenses are serious and carry severe penalties, including the possibility of lengthy prison sentences.