2019 US Virgin Islands Code
Title 14 - Crimes
Chapter 111 - Vagrancy
§ 2221. Miscellaneous acts of vagrancy
(a) Whoever—
(1) being able by lawful means, to support himself or his spouse or his or her children, willfully refuses or neglects to do so; or
(2) being a common prostitute, wanders in the public streets or highways, or in any place of public resort and behaves in a riotous and indecent manner; or
(3) being in any street, highway or public place, accosts a stranger and offers to take him to the house or residence of a prostitute; or
(4) being a common prostitute or nightwalker, loiters in any street or highway and importunes passengers for the purpose of prostitution; or
(5) being in any street, highway or public place, accosts a stranger or follows him about, without lawful authority or excuse; or
(6) pretends or professes to tell fortunes by palmistry, “obeah” or any such like superstitious means, or uses or pretends to use any subtle craft or device, in order to deceive and impose upon other persons; or
(7) lives in or loiters about houses of ill fame; or
(8) annoys or molests any child under the age of 18 years; or
(9) willfully exposes to view in any street, road, highway or public place, or in the window or other part of any shop or other building situated in any street, road, highway or public place, any obscene print, picture or other indecent exhibition; or
(10) willfully, openly and obscenely exposes his person in any public street, road, highway or place of public resort, or in view thereof; or
(11) wanders abroad and endeavors by the exposure of wounds and deformities to obtain or gather alms; or
(12) endeavors to procure charitable contributions under any false or fraudulent pretenses; or
(13) has in his custody any picklock, key, crow, jack, bit or other implement with intent to break into any dwelling house, warehouse, store, shop, coachhouse, stable, garage or outbuildings; or
(14) is unlawfully armed with any gun, pistol, hanger, cutlass, bludgeon or other offensive weapon; or
(15) loiters or remains in or about a school, college or university building or grounds, not having any reason or relationship involving custody of or responsibility for a pupil or student, or any other specific, legitimate reason for being there, and not having written permission from anyone authorized to grant the same; or
(16) loiters or remains in or about any public building or facility, including a local or federal government building, a warehouse, place of business or worship, transportation facility, hotel or guesthouse, without apparent legitimate purpose or business therein and, in so doing, obstructs or interferes with the legitimate business of another person, or intentionally annoys or harasses such other person; or
(17) has upon him any instrument with intent to commit any felonious act—
shall be deemed a vagrant and shall be fined not more than $5,000 or imprisoned not more than 90 days, or both.
(b) Whoever loiters or knowingly remains in or about any public accommodation, or facility, including a local or federal government building, a warehouse, place of business or worship, transportation facility, hotel or guesthouse, or street or highway where a controlled substance or drug paraphernalia is unlawfully present, being used or sold without legitimate purpose, after being warned by a law enforcement officer to immediately vacate the area, shall be subject to a fine of not more than $ 1,500 or imprisoned for not more than 1 year, or both.
