Grooming is a method used by offenders that involves building trust with a child and the adults around a child in an effort to gain access to and time alone with her/him. In extreme cases, offenders may use threats and physical force to sexually assault or abuse a child.

The crime of sexual acts with minors, including touching of private parts, exposure of genitalia, taking of pornographic pictures, rape, inducement of sexual acts with the molester or with other children, and variations of these acts. Molestation also applies to incest by a relative with a minor family member and additionally any sexual acts short of rape. For example, in Abshire v. State, a Texas Court of Appeals case, affirmed the lower court conviction of an uncle who sexually contacted and raped his niece from when she was five years old to seventeen, describing his conduct, among other things, as molestation.