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 Mississippi, the criminal offense of lewd acts with a minor is addressed under the state's sexual battery and exploitation statutes. Mississippi Code Section 97-5-23 defines the crime of sexual battery as engaging in sexual penetration with a child under the age of 14 when the offender is at least 18 years old, or when the offender is in a position of trust or authority over the child. Additionally, Mississippi Code Section 97-5-33 covers the crime of exploitation of children, which includes persuading, inducing, enticing, or coercing a child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct or for sexual gratification. The state's laws are strict, and the penalties for these offenses are severe, often including lengthy prison sentences and mandatory registration as a sex offender. Mississippi law also criminalizes the act of indecent exposure to a child under Section 97-29-61, which could encompass some lewd acts that do not involve physical contact.