New York Penal Law 260.10 - Interpretation

In People v. Johnson (95 NY2d 368, 371, 740 N.E.2d 1075, 718 N.Y.S.2d 1 [2000], the Court of Appeals noted that "actual harm to the child need not result for criminal liability to attach; it is sufficient that the defendant act in a manner which is likely to result in harm to the child, while knowing of the likelihood of such harm coming to the child." Further, Penal Law 260.10 "does not require that the conduct be specifically directed at a child; rather, a defendant must simply be aware that the conduct may likely result in harm to a child" (id. at 372). "The crime is solely defined by the risk of injury produced by defendant's conduct" (id.)