Those convicted of stealing the identity of a minor will now receive a stricter sentence under a new law signed by the governor, reports State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129) 
Act 97 of 2013, previously House Bill 714, makes children under the age of 18 part of a protected class of victims, along with individuals age 60 or over or those who are care-dependent.
In 2011, the Federal Trade Commission identified child identity theft as a growing problem with an estimated 142,000 instances of this taking place each year. This type of identity theft is defined as the stealing of a child’s Social Security number for use in fraudulent attempts at applying for government benefits, car loans, new mortgages and opening financial accounts.