New York statute
N.Y. Penal Law § 130.52 — Forcible touching
Current through 2026 legislative session (LBDC text via OpenLegislation as of 2026-07-17)
Part of Article 130: Sex Offenses, New York Penal Law.
Criminal charges under this statute
Full text of N.Y. Penal Law § 130.52
Statutory text current through the 2026 legislative session (LBDC text via OpenLegislation as of 2026-07-17). This publication reproduces the text of the Consolidated Laws of New York as provided by the New York State Senate's Open Legislation service (Legislative Bill Drafting Commission statutory text); it is not the official statutes of the State of New York.
130.52 Forcible touching.
A person is guilty of forcible touching when such person
intentionally, and for no legitimate purpose:
1. forcibly touches the sexual or other intimate parts of another
person for the purpose of degrading or abusing such person, or for the
purpose of gratifying the actor's sexual desire; or
2. subjects another person to sexual contact for the purpose of
gratifying the actor's sexual desire and with intent to degrade or abuse
such other person while such other person is a passenger on a bus,
train, or subway car operated by any transit agency, authority or
company, public or private, whose operation is authorized by New York
state or any of its political subdivisions.
For the purposes of this section, forcible touching includes
squeezing, grabbing or pinching.
Forcible touching is a class A misdemeanor.
Official sources
Legal terms used in this section
Questions this section answers
What class of misdemeanor is forcible touching in New York?
Forcible touching is a Class A Misdemeanor in New York under N.Y. Penal Law § 130.52.
Which New York statute covers forcible touching?
Forcible touching is governed by N.Y. Penal Law § 130.52 (Forcible touching).
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.