Tex.
Penal Code Section 20.04
Aggravated Kidnapping
(a)
A person commits an offense if he intentionally or knowingly abducts another person with the intent to:(1)
hold him for ransom or reward;(2)
use him as a shield or hostage;(3)
facilitate the commission of a felony or the flight after the attempt or commission of a felony;(4)
inflict bodily injury on him or violate or abuse him sexually;(5)
terrorize him or a third person; or(6)
interfere with the performance of any governmental or political function.(b)
A person commits an offense if the person intentionally or knowingly abducts another person and uses or exhibits a deadly weapon during the commission of the offense.(c)
Except as provided by Subsection (d), an offense under this section is a felony of the first degree.(d)
At the punishment stage of a trial, the defendant may raise the issue as to whether he voluntarily released the victim in a safe place. If the defendant proves the issue in the affirmative by a preponderance of the evidence, the offense is a felony of the second degree.
Source:
Section 20.04 — Aggravated Kidnapping, https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PE/htm/PE.20.htm#20.04 (accessed May 26, 2025).
