re: KY middle school teacher arrested for you already why

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What does grooming mean in this context?

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Kentucky just passed an anti-grooming law that became effective July 15th.

HB4 link

It defines grooming as:

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A person is guilty of grooming a minor when: (a) Being eighteen (18) years of age or older, he or she engages in grooming behavior directed at a minor who is under fourteen (14) years old with the intent to entice, coerce, solicit, or induce the minor to engage in sexual conduct with the person or another person;

or (b) Being a person in a position of authority or position of special trust, as those terms are defined in KRS 532.045, he or she engages in grooming behavior directed at a minor who is under eighteen (18) years old with the intent to: 1. Entice, coerce, solicit, or induce the minor to engage in sexual conduct with the person or another person; or 2. Develop an intimate or secretive relationship with the minor.

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quote:

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"Grooming behavior" means a course of conduct directed at a minor that is intended to establish an emotional connection with a minor through manipulation, trust-building, or influence to: (a) Facilitate future acts of sexual conduct; or (b) Normalize or desensitize the minor to acts of sexual conduct; even if no in-person meeting or act of sexual conduct is completed. This conduct may occur online or in person, through third parties, or by other indirect methods to facilitate the manipulation of a minor;

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