2021 -- S 0502 SUBSTITUTE A | |
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LC002098/SUB A | |
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND | |
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY | |
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2021 | |
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A N A C T | |
RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES -- CHILDREN | |
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Introduced By: Senators Burke, Archambault, F Lombardi, and Lombardo | |
Date Introduced: March 04, 2021 | |
Referred To: Senate Judiciary | |
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: | |
1 | SECTION 1. Chapter 11-9 of the General Laws entitled "Children" is hereby amended by |
2 | adding thereto the following section: |
3 | 11-9-1.6. Child erotica prohibited. |
4 | (a) Definitions as used in this section: |
5 | (1) "Minor" means any person not having reached eighteen (18) years of age. |
6 | (2) "Produces" means produces, directs, manufactures, issues, publishes or advertises. |
7 | (3) "Visual portrayal" means any visual depiction as defined in ยง 11-9-1.3, including, but |
8 | not limited to, any photograph, film, video, picture, or computer generated image or picture whether |
9 | made or produced by electronic, mechanical, or other means. |
10 | (b) Any person age eighteen (18) or over who knowingly and voluntarily, without threat or |
11 | coercion, produces, possesses, displays or distributes, in any form, any visual portrayals of minors |
12 | who are partially clothed, where the visual portrayals are used for the specific purpose of sexual |
13 | gratification or sexual arousal from viewing the visual portrayals, is guilty of a misdemeanor and, |
14 | upon conviction, shall be confined in jail for not more than one year, or fined not more than one |
15 | thousand dollars ($1,000), or both. |
16 | (c) Affirmative defenses. |
17 | (1) It shall be an affirmative defense to a charge of violating this section that: |
18 | (i) The alleged child erotica was produced using an actual person or persons who was an |
19 | adult at the time the material was produced; |
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1 | (ii) The defendant promptly and in good faith and without retaining or allowing any person, |
2 | other than a law enforcement agency, to access any visual portrayal or copy of it: |
3 | (A) Took reasonable steps to destroy each such visual portrayal; or |
4 | (B) Reported the matter to a law enforcement agency and afforded that agency access to |
5 | each such image. |
6 | (iii) That the possessor, displayer or distributor of child erotica is the parent or legal |
7 | guardian of the child depicted in the visual portrayals and there is no competent evidence to prove |
8 | an intent to use the visual portrayals for sexual gratification or sexual arousal from viewing the |
9 | visual portrayals. |
10 | (d) Severability. If any provision or provisions of this section, or the application of this |
11 | section to any person or circumstance is held invalid by a court of competent authority, that |
12 | invalidity does not affect the other provisions or applications of this section which can be given |
13 | effect without that invalid provision or provisions or application of the provision or provisions, and |
14 | to this end the provisions of this section are declared to be separable and severable. |
15 | SECTION 2. 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 -- CHILDREN | |
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1 | This act would make it a misdemeanor to possess, transfer and/or produce child erotica for |
2 | the specific purpose of sexual gratification or sexual arousal, punishable by confinement in jail for |
3 | not more than one year, or fine of not more one thousand dollars ($1,000), or both. |
4 | This act would take effect upon passage. |
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