Bill > H1593

This bill introduces new legal provisions to criminalize the creation of computer-generated child sexual abuse visual materials, specifically targeting materials that falsely depict minors in sexually explicit or suggestive contexts. The legislation defines "child sexual abuse visual material" broadly to include digitally created, modified, or altered images that could reasonably appear to depict an actual minor in sexually provocative situations. Under the new law, individuals who intentionally create such materials, either knowing or having reason to believe the depicted person is a minor, can be punished by up to 2½ years in a house of correction, up to 10 years in state prison, a fine between $10,000 and $50,000, or a combination of these penalties. The bill also provides multiple methods for determining the age of the individual in the visual material, including personal testimony, testimony from the material's creator, witness observation, or expert medical assessment based on physical appearance. By expanding existing legal frameworks around child sexual abuse materials, the bill aims to address emerging technological methods of creating sexually exploitative content involving minors, even when no actual child is involved in the image's production.

Justice

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H1593