Visual Material Offenses

VISUAL MATERIAL OFFENSES

Sec. 21.16. UNLAWFUL DISCLOSURE OR PROMOTION OF INTIMATE VISUAL MATERIAL. (a) In this section:

(1) "Intimate parts" means the naked genitals, pubic area, anus, buttocks, or female nipple of a person.

(2) "Promote" means to procure, manufacture, issue, sell, give, provide, lend, mail, deliver, transfer, transmit, publish, distribute, circulate, disseminate, present, exhibit, or advertise or to offer or agree to do any of the above.

(3) "Sexual conduct" means sexual contact, actual or simulated sexual intercourse, deviate sexual intercourse, sexual bestiality, masturbation, or sadomasochistic abuse.

(4) "Simulated" means the explicit depiction of sexual conduct that creates the appearance of actual sexual conduct and during which a person engaging in the conduct exhibits any uncovered portion of the breasts, genitals, or buttocks.

(5) "Visual material" means:

(A) any film, photograph, videotape, negative, or slide or any photographic reproduction that contains or incorporates in any manner any film, photograph, videotape, negative, or slide; or

(B) any disk, diskette, or other physical medium that allows an image to be displayed on a computer or other video screen and any image transmitted to a computer or other video screen by telephone line, cable, satellite transmission, or other method.

(b) A person commits an offense if:

(1) without the effective consent of the depicted person, the person intentionally discloses visual material depicting another person with the person's intimate parts exposed or engaged in sexual conduct;

(2) the visual material was obtained by the person or created under circumstances in which the depicted person had a reasonable expectation that the visual material would remain private;

(3) the disclosure of the visual material causes harm to the depicted person; and

(4) the disclosure of the visual material reveals the identity of the depicted person in any manner, including through:

(A) any accompanying or subsequent information or material related to the visual material; or

(B) information or material provided by a third party in response to the disclosure of the visual material.

(c) A person commits an offense if the person intentionally threatens to disclose, without the consent of the depicted person, visual material depicting another person with the person's intimate parts exposed or engaged in sexual conduct and the actor makes the threat to obtain a benefit:

(1) in return for not making the disclosure; or

(2) in connection with the threatened disclosure.

(d) A person commits an offense if, knowing the character and content of the visual material, the person promotes visual material described by Subsection (b) on an Internet website or other forum for publication that is owned or operated by the person.

(e) It is not a defense to prosecution under this section that the depicted person:

(1) created or consented to the creation of the visual material; or

(2) voluntarily transmitted the visual material to the actor.

(f) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under Subsection (b) or (d) that:

(1) the disclosure or promotion is made in the course of:

(A) lawful and common practices of law enforcement or medical treatment;

(B) reporting unlawful activity; or

(C) a legal proceeding, if the disclosure or promotion is permitted or required by law;

(2) the disclosure or promotion consists of visual material depicting in a public or commercial setting only a person's voluntary exposure of:

(A) the person's intimate parts; or

(B) the person engaging in sexual conduct; or

(3) the actor is an interactive computer service, as defined by 47 U.S.C. Section 230, and the disclosure or promotion consists of visual material provided by another person.

(g) An offense under this section is a state jail felony.

(h) If conduct that constitutes an offense under this section also constitutes an offense under another law, the actor may be prosecuted under this section, the other law, or both.

Added by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 852 (S.B. 1135), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2015.

Amended by:

Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 858 (H.B. 2552), Sec. 16(b), eff. September 1, 2017.

 

Sec. 43.262. POSSESSION OR PROMOTION OF LEWD VISUAL MATERIAL DEPICTING CHILD. (a) In this section:

(1) "Promote" and "sexual conduct" have the meanings assigned by Section 43.25.

(2) "Visual material" has the meaning assigned by Section 43.26.

(b) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly possesses, accesses with intent to view, or promotes visual material that:

(1) depicts the lewd exhibition of the genitals or pubic area of an unclothed, partially clothed, or clothed child who is younger than 18 years of age at the time the visual material was created;

(2) appeals to the prurient interest in sex; and

(3) has no serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.

(c) An offense under this section is a state jail felony, except that the offense is:

(1) a felony of the third degree if it is shown on the trial of the offense that the person has been previously convicted one time of an offense under this section or Section 43.26; and

(2) a felony of the second degree if it is shown on the trial of the offense that the person has been previously convicted two or more times of an offense under this section or Section 43.26.

(d) It is not a defense to prosecution under this section that the depicted child consented to the creation of the visual material.

Added by Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 350 (H.B. 1810), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2017.

 

Sec. 43.26. POSSESSION OR PROMOTION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY. (a) A person commits an offense if:

(1) the person knowingly or intentionally possesses, or knowingly or intentionally accesses with intent to view, visual material that visually depicts a child younger than 18 years of age at the time the image of the child was made who is engaging in sexual conduct, including a child who engages in sexual conduct as a victim of an offense under Section 20A.02(a)(5), (6), (7), or (8); and

(2) the person knows that the material depicts the child as described by Subdivision (1).

(b) In this section:

(1) "Promote" has the meaning assigned by Section 43.25.

(2) "Sexual conduct" has the meaning assigned by Section 43.25.

(3) "Visual material" means:

(A) any film, photograph, videotape, negative, or slide or any photographic reproduction that contains or incorporates in any manner any film, photograph, videotape, negative, or slide; or

(B) any disk, diskette, or other physical medium that allows an image to be displayed on a computer or other video screen and any image transmitted to a computer or other video screen by telephone line, cable, satellite transmission, or other method.

(c) The affirmative defenses provided by Section 43.25(f) also apply to a prosecution under this section.

(d) An offense under Subsection (a) is a felony of the third degree, except that the offense is:

(1) a felony of the second degree if it is shown on the trial of the offense that the person has been previously convicted one time of an offense under that subsection; and

(2) a felony of the first degree if it is shown on the trial of the offense that the person has been previously convicted two or more times of an offense under that subsection.

(e) A person commits an offense if:

(1) the person knowingly or intentionally promotes or possesses with intent to promote material described by Subsection (a)(1); and

(2) the person knows that the material depicts the child as described by Subsection (a)(1).

(f) A person who possesses visual material that contains six or more identical visual depictions of a child as described by Subsection (a)(1) is presumed to possess the material with the intent to promote the material.

(g) An offense under Subsection (e) is a felony of the second degree, except that the offense is a felony of the first degree if it is shown on the trial of the offense that the person has been previously convicted of an offense under that subsection.

(h) It is a defense to prosecution under Subsection (a) or (e) that the actor is a law enforcement officer or a school administrator who:

(1) possessed or accessed the visual material in good faith solely as a result of an allegation of a violation of Section 43.261;

(2) allowed other law enforcement or school administrative personnel to possess or access the material only as appropriate based on the allegation described by Subdivision (1); and

(3) took reasonable steps to destroy the material within an appropriate period following the allegation described by Subdivision (1).

Added by Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 530, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1985. Amended by Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 361, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1989; Acts 1989, 71st Leg., ch. 968, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1989; Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 900, Sec. 1.01, eff. Sept. 1, 1994; Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 76, Sec. 14.51, eff. Sept. 1, 1995; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 933, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1415, Sec. 22(c), eff. Sept. 1, 1999.

Amended by:

Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1322 (S.B. 407), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2011.

Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1252 (H.B. 8), Sec. 20, eff. September 1, 2013.

Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 933 (H.B. 2291), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2015.

 

Sec. 21.15. INVASIVE VISUAL RECORDING. (a) In this section:

(1) "Female breast" means any portion of the female breast below the top of the areola.

(2) "Intimate area" means the naked or clothed genitals, pubic area, anus, buttocks, or female breast of a person.

(3) "Changing room" means a room or portioned area provided for or primarily used for the changing of clothing and includes dressing rooms, locker rooms, and swimwear changing areas.

(4) "Promote" has the meaning assigned by Section 43.21.

(b) A person commits an offense if, without the other person's consent and with intent to invade the privacy of the other person, the person:

(1) photographs or by videotape or other electronic means records, broadcasts, or transmits a visual image of an intimate area of another person if the other person has a reasonable expectation that the intimate area is not subject to public view;

(2) photographs or by videotape or other electronic means records, broadcasts, or transmits a visual image of another in a bathroom or changing room; or

(3) knowing the character and content of the photograph, recording, broadcast, or transmission, promotes a photograph, recording, broadcast, or transmission described by Subdivision (1) or (2).

(c) An offense under this section is a state jail felony.

(d) If conduct that constitutes an offense under this section also constitutes an offense under any other law, the actor may be prosecuted under this section or the other law.

(e) For purposes of Subsection (b)(2), a sign or signs posted indicating that the person is being photographed or that a visual image of the person is being recorded, broadcast, or transmitted is not sufficient to establish the person's consent under that subdivision.

Added by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 458, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2001. Amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 500, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.

Amended by:

Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 306 (H.B. 1804), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2007.

Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 955 (S.B. 1317), Sec. 1, eff. June 18, 2015.

Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 955 (S.B. 1317), Sec. 2, eff. June 18, 2015.

 

Sec. 43.261. ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION OF CERTAIN VISUAL MATERIAL DEPICTING MINOR. (a) In this section:

(1) "Dating relationship" has the meaning assigned by Section 71.0021, Family Code.

(2) "Minor" means a person younger than 18 years of age.

(3) "Produce" with respect to visual material includes any conduct that directly contributes to the creation or manufacture of the material.

(4) "Promote" has the meaning assigned by Section 43.25.

(5) "Sexual conduct" has the meaning assigned by Section 43.25.

(6) "Visual material" has the meaning assigned by Section 43.26.

(b) A person who is a minor commits an offense if the person intentionally or knowingly:

(1) by electronic means promotes to another minor visual material depicting a minor, including the actor, engaging in sexual conduct, if the actor produced the visual material or knows that another minor produced the visual material; or

(2) possesses in an electronic format visual material depicting another minor engaging in sexual conduct, if the actor produced the visual material or knows that another minor produced the visual material.

(c) An offense under Subsection (b)(1) is a Class C misdemeanor, except that the offense is:

(1) a Class B misdemeanor if it is shown on the trial of the offense that the actor:

(A) promoted the visual material with intent to harass, annoy, alarm, abuse, torment, embarrass, or offend another; or

(B) except as provided by Subdivision (2)(A), has previously been convicted one time of any offense under this section; or

(2) a Class A misdemeanor if it is shown on the trial of the offense that the actor has previously been:

(A) convicted one or more times of an offense punishable under Subdivision (1)(A); or

(B) convicted two or more times of any offense under this section.

(d) An offense under Subsection (b)(2) is a Class C misdemeanor, except that the offense is:

(1) a Class B misdemeanor if it is shown on the trial of the offense that the actor has previously been convicted one time of any offense under this section; or

(2) a Class A misdemeanor if it is shown on the trial of the offense that the actor has previously been convicted two or more times of any offense under this section.

(e) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under this section that the visual material:

(1) depicted only the actor or another minor:

(A) who is not more than two years older or younger than the actor and with whom the actor had a dating relationship at the time of the offense; or

(B) who was the spouse of the actor at the time of the offense; and

(2) was promoted or received only to or from the actor and the other minor.

(f) It is a defense to prosecution under Subsection (b)(2) that the actor:

(1) did not produce or solicit the visual material;

(2) possessed the visual material only after receiving the material from another minor; and

(3) destroyed the visual material within a reasonable amount of time after receiving the material from another minor.

(g) If conduct that constitutes an offense under this section also constitutes an offense under another law, the defendant may be prosecuted under this section, the other law, or both.

(h) Notwithstanding Section 51.13, Family Code, a finding that a person has engaged in conduct in violation of this section is considered a conviction for the purposes of Subsections (c) and (d).

Added by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1322 (S.B. 407), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2011.