i was hiding my runaway friend and we lied about her identity, can i get arrested?

I helped my friend move out while her parents were at work

My 16 yr old friend was getting abused and was sick and tired of it so she started slowly packing up and today i helped her finish packing and helped get it into a vehicle. I know where she is and that she is safe. Her father came to my house looking for her and i told him that i didnt know where she was or where she could be, later on a police officer phoned me.... She asked if i knew where she was and i said no, she asked if i knew anyone how knew where she could be and i said no. I was just wondering if i could get in serious trouble by lying to the police officer? If so, how much trouble would i get into? What will happen to me if they find out i lied and find out i helped her? Is it illegal that i lied to her about that information? I may be over thinking it but i just wanna be sure. I dont regret helping her, cause she needed to get away from her parents but im kinda freaking out and i would like to know. please help me by answering my questions.

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Hello,

Thank you for contacting the National Runaway Safeline.

It sounds like you have quite a few issues going on with your daughter.
We understand your concern for her safety it must have been quite a relief to have her return home.
You raise a good question about pressing charges against the parents for harboring your daughter while she was a runaway.

We cannot give you the specifics about harboring laws as they pertain to runaway youth but here is our general understanding.
It is considered illegal in most states for committing and there could be some penalty rendered if found guilty. It is probably best to check with your local law enforcement about the procedures to file such a complaint.
You might also try talking with a juvenile officer about filing any stop and desist orders that may assist with the youth in question from contacting your daughter.

Does that make sense?

We hope this sheds some light on your questions.

You may call our 1-800-Runaway (786-2929) 24hr crisis hotline and speak with one of our crisis liners if you would like to gather more information or referrals.

Our NRS website has information for parents and list services that might aid you in dealing with your situation.
www.1800Runaway.org http://www.1800runaway.org/parents/resources/
We wish you the best of luck with your situation.
Take Care,
NRS

Can i press charges for a family harboring my runaway?

Hi

My 14 year old ran away to nyc to meet a boy she met online because we did not agree with the meeting at the time.
My daughter is also depressed and has possible mental issues before this incident.
When the cops proceeded to knock on this kids door they denied that she was there atleast 3 times.
Can I legally press charges against this family for harboring my runaway?
My daughter wrote a runaway note and wasnt planning on returning but the cops scared her and his parents so they sent her home.
If i spoke spanish i would call his mother myself.

I am in the process of finding a way to keep him away from my daughter because he is manipulitive and gets her doing drugs which I found on video. He is also is being very pushy about getting sex from her.

I refuse to let him in my house any longer. My daughter is now 15 and this boy will be 17 next month. Btw- he is a school drop out and is just a bad influence to my daughter which has problems already. I let this span 5 months past the runaway date. Legally dont know what I can do. She ran from NJ to NYC.

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Re: i was hiding my runaway friend and we lied about her identity, can i get arrested

Thank you for sharing you situation with us. It sounds like you were trying to help your friend and are now concerned with getting in trouble. We are sorry to hear that your friend was getting abused and molested. No one deserves to be treated that way and it sounds like you care very much for your friend. If she currently feels unsafe, one option might be to contact Child Protective Services. If you are unsure about that option, you could always contact Child Help USA at 1-800-422-4453. They don’t actually take the abuse reports, they just give information. If you (or your friend) do decide to file a report, they can give you the number for your city/state. Or, we could always help through that process should you give us a call.

We are not legal experts here; however, in many cases the parent or guardian has to be willing to pursue charges against the adult involved with harboring a runaway. Whether your parents/guardians were aware that your friend was a runaway may also affect whether her parents can press charges. To our knowledge harboring a runaway is just a misdemeanor and would fall on the adult, not the minor involved. Hopefully that helps and if you need an official answer from a legal professional or law enforcement you can always call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY for referrals. We are anonymous, confidential, and available 24/7. Best of luck!

-NRS

my friend is 13 and im 15, she ran away bc she was getting abused and molested, she stayed one night with me and her parents reported her missing. since i was the last person she was seen with the police came and searched my house, her step dad was outside my house to i.d her. when she was taken outside to see her step dad he looked at her and i quote him "thats not her" so we were relieved and they left. but later that evening when her biological father flies in from peurtrico her calls the police and has them search again, but this time he recognizes her, and his only excuse for not claiming her earlier is "her gestures were different". so anyway they cuff and arrest her and say theyll be back in a few days to talk to me....could i be arrested for harboring and assisting a runaway?