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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>375378</law_id><section_number>63.2-1513</section_number><catch_line>Knowingly making false reports; penalties</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2026/" slug="2026" current="TRUE" last_updated="2026-08-02">2026</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="135" identifier="63.2">Welfare (Social Services)</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="3" identifier="III">Social Services Programs</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="6" identifier="15">Child Abuse and Neglect</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="2" identifier="2">Complaints</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> Any person fourteen years of age or older who makes or causes to be made a report of <span class="dictionary">child</span> abuse or neglect pursuant to this chapter that he knows to be false shall be guilty of a Class 1 <span class="dictionary">misdemeanor</span>. Any person fourteen years of age or older who has been previously convicted under this subsection and who is subsequently convicted under this subsection shall be guilty of a Class 6 <span class="dictionary">felony</span>. <a id="paragraph-1401363" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/63.2-1513/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> The <span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">child</span>-protective services</span> records regarding the person who was alleged to have committed abuse or neglect that result from a report for which a <span class="dictionary">conviction</span> is obtained under this section shall be purged immediately by any custodian of such records upon presentation to the custodian of a certified copy of such <span class="dictionary">conviction</span>. After purging the records, the custodian shall notify the person in writing that such records have been purged. <a id="paragraph-1401364" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/63.2-1513/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1996, cc. 813, 836, &#xA7; 63.1-248.5:1.01; 1999, c. 828; 2002, c. 747.</history><metadata><court_decisions><item key="0"><name>Norfolk Department of Human Services v. Joshua Goldberg</name><case_number>1382231</case_number><citation></citation><date>2024-08-20</date><url>https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/10046085/norfolk-department-of-human-services-v-joshua-goldberg/</url><abstract> .&#x202F;.&#x202F;. COURT OF APPEALS OF VIRGINIA .&#x202F;.&#x202F;. </abstract><court_html><abbr title="Court of Appeals">COA</abbr></court_html></item></court_decisions></metadata></law>
