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H.B. 14

             1     

MATERIAL HARMFUL TO MINORS

             2     
AMENDMENTS

             3     
2009 GENERAL SESSION

             4     
STATE OF UTAH

             5     
Chief Sponsor: Sheryl L. Allen

             6     
Senate Sponsor: Gregory S. Bell

             7     
             8      LONG TITLE
             9      Committee Note:
             10          The Judiciary Interim Committee recommended this bill.
             11      General Description:
             12          This bill modifies the Criminal Code regarding the offenses of distribution of
             13      pornographic material and material harmful to minors.
             14      Highlighted Provisions:
             15          This bill:
             16          .    provides the following penalties for minors that distribute pornographic material or
             17      deal in material harmful to a minor:
             18              .    persons 16 or 17 years of age are guilty of a class A misdemeanor; and
             19              .    persons younger than 16 years of age are guilty of a class B misdemeanor;
             20          .    provides that a person 18 years of age or older who solicits a person younger than
             21      18 to distribute pornographic material or deal in material harmful to a minor is
             22      guilty of a third degree felony and is subject to specified penalties; and
             23          .    provides that if a person younger than 18 years of age has previously committed the
             24      offense of dealing in material harmful to minors, the person is guilty of a third
             25      degree felony for each subsequent offense.
             26      Monies Appropriated in this Bill:
             27          None


             28      Other Special Clauses:
             29          None
             30      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             31      AMENDS:
             32          76-10-1204, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2007, Chapter 337
             33          76-10-1206, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2008, Chapter 297
             34     
             35      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             36          Section 1. Section 76-10-1204 is amended to read:
             37           76-10-1204. Distributing pornographic material -- Penalties -- Exemptions for
             38      Internet service providers and hosting companies.
             39          (1) A person is guilty of distributing pornographic material when [he] the person
             40      knowingly:
             41          (a) sends or brings any pornographic material into the state with intent to distribute or
             42      exhibit it to others;
             43          (b) prepares, publishes, prints, or possesses any pornographic material with intent to
             44      distribute or exhibit it to others;
             45          (c) distributes or offers to distribute, or exhibits or offers to exhibit, any pornographic
             46      material to others;
             47          (d) writes, creates, or solicits the publication or advertising of pornographic material;
             48          (e) promotes the distribution or exhibition of material [he] the person represents to be
             49      pornographic; or
             50          (f) presents or directs a pornographic performance in any public place or any place
             51      exposed to public view or participates in that portion of the performance which makes it
             52      pornographic.
             53          (2) Each distributing of pornographic material as defined in Subsection (1) is a separate
             54      offense.
             55          (3) It is a separate offense under this section for:
             56          (a) each day's exhibition of any pornographic motion picture film; and
             57          (b) each day in which any pornographic publication is displayed or exhibited in a
             58      public place with intent to distribute or exhibit it to others.


             59          (4) (a) An offense under this section committed by a person 18 years of age or older is
             60      a third degree felony punishable by:
             61          (i) a minimum mandatory fine of not less than $1,000, plus $10 for each article
             62      exhibited up to the maximum allowed by law; and
             63          (ii) incarceration, without suspension of sentence in any way, for a term of not less than
             64      30 days.
             65          (b) An offense under this section committed by a person 16 or 17 years of age is a class
             66      A misdemeanor.
             67          (c) An offense under this section committed by a person younger than 16 years of age
             68      is a class B misdemeanor.
             69          [(b) This] (d) Subsection (4)(a) supersedes Section 77-18-1 .
             70          (5) A person 18 years of age or older who knowingly solicits, requests, commands,
             71      encourages, or intentionally aids another person younger than 18 years of age to engage in
             72      conduct prohibited under Subsection (1), (2), or (3) is guilty of a third degree felony and is
             73      subject to the penalties under Subsection (4)(a).
             74          [(5)] (6) (a) This section does not apply to an Internet service provider, as defined in
             75      Section 76-10-1230 , if:
             76          (i) the distribution of pornographic material by the Internet service provider occurs
             77      only incidentally through the Internet service provider's function of:
             78          (A) transmitting or routing data from one person to another person; or
             79          (B) providing a connection between one person and another person;
             80          (ii) the Internet service provider does not intentionally aid or abet in the distribution of
             81      the pornographic material; and
             82          (iii) the Internet service provider does not knowingly receive funds from or through a
             83      person who distributes the pornographic material in exchange for permitting the person to
             84      distribute the pornographic material.
             85          (b) This section does not apply to a hosting company, as defined in Section
             86      76-10-1230 , if:
             87          (i) the distribution of pornographic material by the hosting company occurs only
             88      incidentally through the hosting company's function of providing data storage space or data
             89      caching to a person;


             90          (ii) the hosting company does not intentionally engage, aid, or abet in the distribution
             91      of the pornographic material; and
             92          (iii) the hosting company does not knowingly receive funds from or through a person
             93      who distributes the pornographic material in exchange for permitting the person to distribute,
             94      store, or cache the pornographic material.
             95          Section 2. Section 76-10-1206 is amended to read:
             96           76-10-1206. Dealing in material harmful to a minor -- Penalties -- Exemptions for
             97      Internet service providers and hosting companies.
             98          (1) A person is guilty of dealing in material harmful to minors when, knowing or
             99      believing that a person is a minor, or having negligently failed to determine the proper age of a
             100      minor, the person intentionally:
             101          (a) distributes or offers to distribute, or exhibits or offers to exhibit, to a minor or a
             102      person the actor believes to be a minor, any material harmful to minors;
             103          (b) produces, performs, or directs any performance, before a minor or a person the
             104      actor believes to be a minor, that is harmful to minors; or
             105          (c) participates in any performance, before a minor or a person the actor believes to be
             106      a minor, that is harmful to minors.
             107          (2) (a) Each separate offense under this section committed by a person 18 years of age
             108      or older is a third degree felony punishable by:
             109          (i) a minimum mandatory fine of not less than $1,000 plus $10 for each article
             110      exhibited up to the maximum allowed by law; and
             111          (ii) incarceration, without suspension of sentence, for a term of not less than 14 days.
             112          (b) Each separate offense under this section committed by a person 16 or 17 years of
             113      age is a class A misdemeanor.
             114          (c) Each separate offense under this section committed by a person younger than 16
             115      years of age is a class B misdemeanor.
             116          [(b)] (d) [This section] Subsection (2)(a) supersedes Section 77-18-1 .
             117          (3) (a) If a defendant 18 years of age or older has [already] been previously convicted
             118      [once] or adjudicated to be under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court under this section, each
             119      separate [further] subsequent offense is a second degree felony punishable by:
             120          (i) a minimum mandatory fine of not less than $5,000, plus $10 for each article


             121      exhibited up to the maximum allowed by law; and
             122          (ii) incarceration, without suspension of sentence, for a term of not less than one year.
             123          (b) If a defendant younger than 18 years of age has been previously convicted or
             124      adjudicated to be under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court under this section, each separate
             125      subsequent offense is a third degree felony.
             126          [(b)] (c) [This section] Subsection (3)(a) supersedes Section 77-18-1 .
             127          [(c)] (d) (i) This section does not apply to an Internet service provider, as defined in
             128      Section 76-10-1230 , a provider of an electronic communications service as defined in 18
             129      U.S.C. Sec. 2510, a telecommunications service, information service, or mobile service as
             130      defined in 47 U.S.C. Sec. 153, including a commercial mobile service as defined in 47 U.S.C.
             131      Sec. 332(d), or a cable operator as defined in 47 U.S.C. Sec. 522, if:
             132          (A) the distribution of pornographic material by the Internet service provider occurs
             133      only incidentally through the provider's function of:
             134          (I) transmitting or routing data from one person to another person; or
             135          (II) providing a connection between one person and another person;
             136          (B) the provider does not intentionally aid or abet in the distribution of the
             137      pornographic material; and
             138          (C) the provider does not knowingly receive from or through a person who distributes
             139      the pornographic material a fee greater than the fee generally charged by the provider, as a
             140      specific condition for permitting the person to distribute the pornographic material.
             141          (ii) This section does not apply to a hosting company, as defined in Section
             142      76-10-1230 , if:
             143          (A) the distribution of pornographic material by the hosting company occurs only
             144      incidentally through the hosting company's function of providing data storage space or data
             145      caching to a person;
             146          (B) the hosting company does not intentionally engage, aid, or abet in the distribution
             147      of the pornographic material; and
             148          (C) the hosting company does not knowingly receive from or through a person who
             149      distributes the pornographic material a fee greater than the fee generally charged by the
             150      provider, as a specific condition for permitting the person to distribute, store, or cache the
             151      pornographic material.


             152          (4) A service provider, as defined in Section 76-10-1230 , is not negligent under this
             153      section if it complies with Section 76-10-1231 .
             154          (5) A person 18 years of age or older who knowingly solicits, requests, commands,
             155      encourages, or intentionally aids another person younger than 18 years of age to engage in
             156      conduct in violation of Subsection (1) is guilty of a third degree felony and is subject to the
             157      penalties under Subsection (2)(a).




Legislative Review Note
    as of 6-24-08 11:16 AM


Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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