Bill > H3471

This bill amends South Carolina's laws regarding sexual exploitation of minors to explicitly address "morphed" or digitally altered child pornography by introducing a new definition of "identifiable minor" and expanding existing statutes to cover digitally manipulated images. The bill modifies three sections of the state criminal code (16-15-395, 16-15-405, and 16-15-410) to include visual depictions that have been "created, adapted, or modified to appear that an identifiable minor is engaging in sexually explicit conduct," even if the actual image does not feature a real minor. The new definition of "identifiable minor" means a person who was a minor when an image was created or whose image was used in creating a manipulated image, and who is recognizable by their face, likeness, or distinguishing characteristics. The bill maintains strict criminal penalties for these offenses, with first-degree sexual exploitation of a minor carrying a mandatory prison sentence of 3-20 years, second-degree exploitation carrying 2-10 years, and third-degree (possession) carrying up to 10 years in prison. The legislation aims to close potential legal loopholes by criminalizing digitally altered images that could be used to sexually exploit or represent minors, even when no actual child was directly involved in creating the image.

Justice

https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=3471&session=126&summary=B