TITLE 18

CRIMES AND PUNISHMENTS

CHAPTER 15

CHILDREN AND VULNERABLE ADULTS

18-1507.  definitions — Sexual exploitation of a child — penalties. (1) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:

(a)  "Bestiality" means a sexual connection in any manner between a human being and any animal.

(b)  "Child" means a person who is less than eighteen (18) years of age.

(c)    "Erotic fondling" means touching a person’s clothed or unclothed genitals or pubic area, developing or undeveloped genitals or pubic area (if the person is a child), buttocks, breasts (if the person is a female), or developing or undeveloped breast area (if the person is a female child), for the purpose of real or simulated overt sexual gratification or stimulation of one (1) or more of the persons involved. Erotic fondling shall not be construed to include physical contact, even if affectionate, that is not for the purpose of real or simulated overt sexual gratification or stimulation of one (1) or more of the persons involved.

(d)  "Erotic nudity" means the display of the human male or female genitals or pubic area, the undeveloped or developing genitals or pubic area of the human male or female child, the human female breasts, or the undeveloped or developing breast area of the human female child, for the purpose of real or simulated overt sexual gratification or stimulation of one (1) or more of the persons involved.

(e)  "Explicit sexual conduct" means sexual intercourse, erotic fondling, erotic nudity, masturbation, sadomasochism, sexual excitement, or bestiality.

(f)  "Identifiable child:"

(i)   Means a person:

1.  Who was a child at the time the visual material was created, adapted, or modified or whose image as a child was used in creating, adapting, or modifying the visual material; and

2.  Who is recognizable as an actual person by the person’s face, likeness, or other distinguishing characteristic, such as a unique birthmark or other recognizable feature; and

(ii)  Shall not be construed to require proof of the actual identity of the identifiable child.

(g)  "Law enforcement officer" means any court personnel, sheriff, constable, peace officer, state police officer, correctional officer, probation officer, parole officer, prosecuting attorney, or attorney general, or their employees.

(h)  "Masturbation" means the real or simulated touching, rubbing, or otherwise stimulating of a person’s own clothed or unclothed genitals or pubic area, developing or undeveloped genitals or pubic area (if the person is a child), buttocks, breasts (if the person is a female), or developing or undeveloped breast area (if the person is a female child), by manual manipulation or self-induced or with an artificial instrument, for the purpose of real or simulated overt sexual gratification or arousal of the person.

(i)  "Sadomasochism" means:

(i)   Real or simulated flagellation or torture for the purpose of real or simulated sexual stimulation or gratification; or

(ii)  The real or simulated condition of being fettered, bound, or otherwise physically restrained for sexual stimulation or gratification of a person.

(j)  "Sexual excitement" means the real or simulated condition of human male or female genitals when in a state of real or simulated overt sexual stimulation or arousal.

(k)  "Sexual intercourse" means real or simulated intercourse, whether genital-genital, oral-genital, anal-genital, or oral-anal, between persons of the same or opposite sex, or between a human and an animal, or with an artificial genital.

(l)  "Sexually exploitative material" means any image, photograph, motion picture, video, print, negative, slide, or other mechanically, electronically, digitally or chemically produced or reproduced or computer-generated visual material where such visual material:

(i)   Shows a child engaged in, participating in, observing, or being used for explicit sexual conduct, or showing a child engaging in, participating in, observing or being used for explicit sexual conduct, in actual time, including but not limited to video chat, webcam sessions or video calling; or

(ii)  Has been created, adapted, or modified to appear that an identifiable child is engaging in, participating in, observing, or being used for explicit sexual conduct.

(2)  A person commits sexual exploitation of a child if he knowingly and willfully:

(a)  Possesses or accesses through any means, including but not limited to the internet, any sexually exploitative material; or

(b)  Causes, induces or permits a child to engage in, or be used for, any explicit sexual conduct for the purpose of producing or making sexually exploitative material; or

(c)  Promotes, prepares, publishes, produces, makes, finances, offers, exhibits or advertises any sexually exploitative material; or

(d)  Distributes through any means, including but not limited to mail, physical delivery or exchange, use of a computer or any other electronic or digital method, any sexually exploitative material. Distribution of sexually exploitative material does not require a pecuniary transaction or exchange of interests in order to complete the offense.

(3)  The sexual exploitation of a child pursuant to subsection (2)(a) of this section is a felony and shall be punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for a period not to exceed ten (10) years or by a fine not to exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or by both such imprisonment and fine.

(4)  The sexual exploitation of a child pursuant to subsection (2)(b), (c), and (d) of this section is a felony and shall be punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for a term not to exceed thirty (30) years or by a fine not to exceed fifty thousand dollars ($50,000), or by both such fine and imprisonment.

(5)  Notwithstanding any other provisions of this section, a person eighteen (18) years of age or older who is found to be in knowing and willful possession of content created and distributed under circumstances defined in section 18-1507A(1) or (2), Idaho Code, is guilty of a misdemeanor provided that:

(a)  The minor depicted in the content distributed the content in such a way that the minor intended the person found to be in possession to receive it;

(b)  The minor depicted in the content is not greater than three (3) years younger than the person found to be in possession; and

(c)  The person found to be in possession of the content did not use coercion, manipulation or fraud to obtain possession of the content.

(6)  Subsection (2)(a), (c), and (d) of this section shall not be construed to impose criminal or civil liability on law enforcement officers acting in good faith and in the course and scope of their official duties.

(7)  If any provision of this section or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of this section that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this section are declared to be severable.

History:

[18-1507, added 1983, ch. 256, sec. 1, p. 679; am. 1987, ch. 177, sec. 1, p. 352; am. 1992, ch. 145, sec. 2, p. 439; am. 2006, ch. 178, sec. 5, p. 547; am. 2012, ch. 269, sec. 2, p. 752; am. 2016, ch. 377, sec. 2, p. 1103; am. 2024, ch. 194, sec. 1, p. 692.]