H.B. 384 Enrolled

1

PUBLIC LEWDNESS AMENDMENTS
2 2009 GENERAL SESSION
3 STATE OF UTAH
4 Chief Sponsor: Don L. Ipson
5 Senate Sponsor: Stephen H. Urquhart
6
7 LONG TITLE
8 General Description:
9 This bill modifies the Criminal Code regarding penalties for repeat lewdness offenses.
10 Highlighted Provisions:
11 This bill:
12 . increases the penalty for lewdness if the offender has been convicted twice before
13 of lewdness or lewdness involving a child; and
14 . increases the penalty for lewdness involving a child if the offender has been
15 convicted once before of lewdness involving a child.
16 Monies Appropriated in this Bill:
17 None
18 Other Special Clauses:
19 This bill coordinates with H.B. 136, Sex Offender Definition Amendments, by
20 providing that specified amendments in this bill supersede amendments in H.B. 136.
21 Utah Code Sections Affected:
22 AMENDS:
23 76-9-702, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2007, Chapter 350
24 76-9-702.5, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2007, Chapter 350
25
26 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
27 Section 1. Section 76-9-702 is amended to read:
28 76-9-702. Lewdness -- Sexual battery -- Public urination.
29 (1) A person is guilty of lewdness if the person under circumstances not amounting to

30 rape, object rape, forcible sodomy, forcible sexual abuse, aggravated sexual assault, or an
31 attempt to commit any of these offenses, performs any of the following acts in a public place
32 or under circumstances which the person should know will likely cause affront or alarm to, on,
33 or in the presence of another who is 14 years of age or older:
34 (a) an act of sexual intercourse or sodomy;
35 (b) exposes his or her genitals, the female breast below the top of the areola, the
36 buttocks, the anus, or the pubic area;
37 (c) masturbates; or
38 (d) any other act of lewdness.
39 [(2) (a) Lewdness is a class B misdemeanor.]
40 [(b) Lewdness is a class A misdemeanor if the person is a sex offender as defined in
41 Section 77-27-21.7 .]
42 (2) (a) A person convicted the first or second time of a violation of Subsection (1) is
43 guilty of a class B misdemeanor, except under Subsection (2)(b).
44 (b) A person convicted of a violation of Subsection (1) is guilty of a third degree
45 felony if at the time of the violation:
46 (i) the person is a sex offender as defined in Section 77-27-21.7 ;
47 (ii) the person has been previously convicted two or more times of violating
48 Subsection (1); or
49 (iii) the person has previously been convicted of a violation of Subsection (1) and has
50 also previously been convicted of a violation of Section 76-9-702.5 .
51 (3) A person is guilty of sexual battery if the person under circumstances not
52 amounting to rape, rape of a child, object rape, object rape of a child, forcible sodomy,
53 sodomy upon a child, forcible sexual abuse, sexual abuse of a child, aggravated sexual abuse
54 of a child, aggravated sexual assault, or an attempt to commit any of these offenses
55 intentionally touches, whether or not through clothing, the anus, buttocks, or any part of the
56 genitals of another person, or the breast of a female, and the actor's conduct is under
57 circumstances the actor knows or should know will likely cause affront or alarm to the person

58 touched.
59 (4) Sexual battery is a class A misdemeanor.
60 (5) A person is guilty of public urination if the person urinates or defecates:
61 (a) in a public place, other than a public rest room; and
62 (b) under circumstances which the person should know will likely cause affront or
63 alarm to another.
64 (6) Public urination is a class C misdemeanor.
65 (7) A woman's breast feeding, including breast feeding in any location where the
66 woman otherwise may rightfully be, does not under any circumstance constitute a lewd [or
67 grossly lewd] act, irrespective of whether or not the breast is covered during or incidental to
68 feeding.
69 Section 2. Section 76-9-702.5 is amended to read:
70 76-9-702.5. Lewdness involving a child.
71 (1) A person is guilty of lewdness involving a child if the person under circumstances
72 not amounting to rape of a child, object rape of a child, sodomy upon a child, sexual abuse of
73 a child, aggravated sexual abuse of a child, or an attempt to commit any of those offenses,
74 intentionally or knowingly does any of the following to, or in the presence of a child who is
75 under 14 years of age:
76 (a) performs an act of sexual intercourse or sodomy;
77 (b) exposes his or her genitals, the female breast below the top of the areola, the
78 buttocks, the anus, or the pubic area:
79 (i) in a public place; or
80 (ii) in a private place:
81 (A) under circumstances the person should know will likely cause affront or alarm; or
82 (B) with the intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of the actor or the child;
83 (c) masturbates;
84 (d) under circumstances not amounting to sexual exploitation of a child under Section
85 76-5a-3 , causes a child under the age of 14 years to expose his or her genitals, anus, or breast,

86 if female, to the actor, with the intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of the actor or the
87 child; or
88 (e) performs any other act of lewdness.
89 (2) (a) Lewdness involving a child is a class A misdemeanor, except under Subsection
90 (2)(b).
91 (b) Lewdness involving a child is a third degree felony if at the time of the violation:
92 (i) the person is a sex offender as defined in Section 77-27-21.7 [.]; or
93 (ii) the person has previously been convicted of a violation of this section.
94 Section 3. Coordinating H.B. 384 and H.B. 136 -- Superseding amendments.
95 If this H.B. 384 and H.B. 136, Sex Offender Definition Amendments, both pass, it is
96 the intent of the Legislature that the amendments to Subsection 76-9-702(2) in this bill
97 supersede the amendments to Subsection 76-9-702(2) in H.B. 136 when the Office of
98 Legislative Research and General Counsel prepares the Utah Code database for publication.