2015 -- H 5770

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2015

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES -- ELECTRONIC IMAGING DEVICES

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Lally, Diaz, Hull, and Shekarchi

     Date Introduced: February 26, 2015

     Referred To: House Judiciary

     (Attorney General)

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 11-64-1 of the General Laws in Chapter 11-64 entitled "Electronic

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Imaging Devices" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     11-64-1. Definitions. -- (1) For the purposes of this section the following definitions

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apply:

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      (a) "Disseminate" means to make available by any means to any person.

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      (b) "Imaging Device" means any electronic instrument capable of capturing, recording,

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storing or transmitting visual images.

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      (c) "Intimate areas" means the naked or undergarment clad genitals, pubic area, buttocks,

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or any portion of the female breast below the top of the areola of a person which the person

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intended to be protected from public view.

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      (d) "Legal entity" means any partnership, firm, association, corporation or any agent or

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servant thereof.

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      (e) "Publish" means to:

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      (i) Disseminate with the intent that such image or images be made available by any

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means to any person or other legal entity;

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      (ii) Disseminate with the intent such images be sold by another person or legal entity;

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      (iii) Post, present, display, exhibit, circulate, advertise or allow access by any means, so

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as to make an image or images available to the public; or

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      (iv) Disseminate with the intent that an image or images be posted, presented, displayed,

 

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exhibited, circulated, advertised or made accessible by any means, and to make such images

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available to the public.

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      (f) "Sell" means to disseminate to another person, or to publish, in exchange for

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something of value.

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     (g) "Sexually explicit conduct" means actual:

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     (i) Graphic sexual intercourse, including genital-genital, oral-genital, anal-genital, or

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oral-anal, or lascivious sexual intercourse where the genitals, or pubic area of any person is

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exhibited;

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     (ii) Bestiality;

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     (iii) Masturbation; or

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     (iv) Sadistic or masochistic abuse.

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     SECTION 2. Chapter 11-64 of the General Laws entitled "Electronic Imaging Devices"

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is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

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     11-64-3. Unauthorized dissemination of indecent material. – (a) A person is guilty of

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unauthorized dissemination of indecent material when:

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     (1) The person captures, records, stores, or receives a visual image depicting another

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person eighteen (18) years of age or older engaged in sexually explicit conduct or of the intimate

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areas of that person;

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     (2) The visual image is captured, recorded, stored, or received with or without that

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person's knowledge or consent and under such circumstances where the person who captured,

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recorded, stored, or received the visual image knew or should have known that the other person

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would have a reasonable expectation of privacy; and

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     (3) The person uses an imaging device to intentionally disseminate, publish, or sell such

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visual image without the consent of the person or all persons depicted in the visual image.

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     (b) A third-party recipient of any visual image described in subsection (a) of this section

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shall not be charged under this section if they did not have actual knowledge that the visual image

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was intentionally disseminated, published, or sold in violation of this subsection (a).

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     (c) For the purposes of this section, "intimate areas" means the naked genitals, pubic area,

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buttocks, or any portion of the female breast below the top of the areola of a person which the

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person intended to be protected from public view.

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     (d) A first violation of this section shall be a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, subject

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to imprisonment of not more than one year, a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000),

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or both. A second or subsequent violation of this section shall be a felony and, upon conviction,

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subject to imprisonment for not more than three (3) years, a fine of not more than three thousand

 

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dollars ($3,000), or both.

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     (e) Those in violation of this section shall not be subject to sex offender registration

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requirements set forth in § 11-37.1-1 et seq., entitled "sexual offender registration and community

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notification act."

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     (f) Constitutionally protected activity is not subject to the provisions of this section.

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     (g) The following activities are exempt from the provisions of this section:

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     (1) The unauthorized dissemination of indecent material is made for the purposes of a

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criminal investigation that is otherwise lawful.

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     (2) The unauthorized dissemination of indecent material is for the purpose of, or in

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connection with, the reporting of unlawful conduct.

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     (3) The unauthorized dissemination of indecent material when the images involve

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voluntary exposure in a public or commercial setting.

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     (4) The unauthorized dissemination of indecent material when the dissemination serves a

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lawful purpose.

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     (h) Nothing in this section shall be construed to impose liability on an interactive

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computer service, as defined in 47 U.S.C. 230(f)(2), an information service, as defined in 47

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U.S.C. 153, or a telecommunications service, as defined in § 44-18-7.1, for content provided by

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another person.

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     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES -- ELECTRONIC IMAGING DEVICES

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     This act prohibits a person from electronically disseminating visual images of another

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engaged in sexually explicit conduct or the intimate parts of another, without that person's

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consent and where the person had a reasonable expectation of privacy. Constitutionally protected

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activity is not subject to the provisions of this section. Those in violation would be guilty of a

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felony and subject to not more than three (3) years imprisonment, a fine of not more than three

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thousand dollars ($3,000), or both.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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