Wyoming law defines child abuse or neglect as any situation where a child under 18 suffers non-accidental physical or mental injury; sexual abuse or exploitation; neglect — including failure to provide necessary care, supervision, medical care, food, shelter; abandonment; or other conditions or circumstances that place a child at substantial risk of harm. The definitions guiding reporting and protection reflect this broad scope.

(Source: Wyo. Stat. § 14-3-205 (definitions & reporting framework))

Under Wyoming law, any person who knows or reasonably suspects child abuse or neglect must report — this includes clergy. Thus, religious leaders or other persons in a church who become aware of suspected abuse have a legal duty to report; there is no statute-based special exemption for “confession-only” privilege that broadly shields clergy from reporting under their mandated-reporter duty, except to the extent general clergy-penitent privilege law applies under other limited contexts.

(Source: Child Welfare Information Gateway summary of Wyoming law and mandated-reporter requirements.)

• When any person (including clergy) has reasonable cause to suspect abuse/neglect, they must immediately make a report to the designated child-protective agency (the state’s Department of Family Services) or local law enforcement.

• If the reporter is employed by or volunteering at a medical institution, school, facility or agency, they may also notify a person in charge or designated agent — who then must cause a report to be made. But that does not relieve the individual’s personal reporting duty if no other report will be made.

• False reporting is penalized; knowingly making a false report or encouraging a false report is a misdemeanor (up to 6 months jail and/or up to $750 fine).

• Good-faith reporters are generally protected from civil or criminal liability under the law.

(Source: Immunity and penalty provisions under state law.)