Bill > A154

This bill revises New Jersey's child pornography laws by expanding the definition of "distribute" to include various methods of sharing, including online, and clarifies that "intimate parts" refers to the definition in N.J.S.2C:14-1. It increases the penalty for certain offenses related to child pornography, making the creation or reproduction of such material by an individual a first-degree crime if the person knows it may be photographed, filmed, or reproduced, and a second-degree crime for knowingly photographing, filming, or reproducing such images using a computer. The bill also strengthens penalties for possessing or distributing child pornography, making it a second-degree crime for distribution and a third-degree crime for possession or viewing, and introduces strict liability for offenses involving children under 16, meaning the offender's knowledge of the child's age is irrelevant. Furthermore, it allows hearsay evidence to prove a child's identity or age in prosecutions and requires defendants to provide notice if they intend to claim that depicted individuals were not actual children or were over 16. The bill also amends laws related to sex offender registration, mandatory minimum sentences for repeat offenders, racketeering activity definitions to include certain child pornography offenses, and procedures for presentence investigations and parole eligibility reports to incorporate these expanded definitions and penalties.