Maine Revised Statutes Title 17-A Sec. 283 – Dissemination of sexually explicit material
Current as of: 2023 | Check for updates
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1. A person is guilty of dissemination of sexually explicit material if:
A. The person intentionally or knowingly disseminates or possesses with intent to disseminate any book, magazine, newspaper, print, negative, slide, motion picture, videotape, computer data file or other mechanically, electronically or chemically reproduced visual image or material that depicts any person who has not in fact attained 16 years of age who the person knows or has reason to know is a person under 16 years of age engaging in sexually explicit conduct, except that it is not a violation of this paragraph if the person depicted is 14 or 15 years of age and the person is less than 5 years older than the person depicted. Violation of this paragraph is a Class C crime; [PL 2015, c. 394, §3 (AMD).]
B. The person violates paragraph A and, at the time of the offense, has one or more prior convictions under this section or for engaging in substantially similar conduct to that contained in this section in another jurisdiction. Violation of this paragraph is a Class B crime; [PL 2007, c. 476, §6 (AMD).]
C. The person intentionally or knowingly disseminates or possesses with intent to disseminate any book, magazine, newspaper, print, negative, slide, motion picture, videotape, computer data file or other mechanically, electronically or chemically reproduced visual image or material that depicts any minor who is less than 12 years of age who the person knows or has reason to know is a minor less than 12 years of age engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Violation of this paragraph is a Class B crime; or [PL 2003, c. 711, Pt. B, §12 (NEW).]
D. The person violates paragraph C and, at the time of the offense, has one or more prior convictions under this section or for engaging in substantially similar conduct to that contained in this section in another jurisdiction. Violation of this paragraph is a Class A crime. [PL 2007, c. 476, §7 (AMD).]
Section 9?A governs the use of prior convictions when determining a sentence.
[PL 2015, c. 394, §3 (AMD).]
Attorney's Note
Under the Maine Revised Statutes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Class A crime | up to 30 years | up to $50,000 |
| Class B crime | up to 10 years | up to $20,000 |
| Class C crime | up to 5 years | up to $5,000 |
Terms Used In Maine Revised Statutes Title 17-A Sec. 283
- Disseminate: means to manufacture, publish, send, promulgate, distribute, exhibit, issue, furnish, sell or transfer or to offer or agree to do any of these acts. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 17-A Sec. 281
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Minor: means a person who has not attained 18 years of age. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 17-A Sec. 281
- Sexually explicit conduct: means any of the following acts:
2. For the purposes of this section, possession of 10 or more copies of any of the materials as described in subsection 1 gives rise to a permissible inference under the Maine Rules of Evidence, Rule 303 that the person possesses those items with intent to disseminate.
[PL 2003, c. 711, Pt. B, §12 (NEW).]
3. For purposes of this section, any element of age of the person depicted means the age of the person at the time the sexually explicit conduct occurred, not the age of the person depicted at the time of dissemination or possession of the sexually explicit visual image or material.
[PL 2009, c. 608, §3 (NEW).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 2003, c. 711, §B12 (NEW). PL 2007, c. 476, §§6, 7 (AMD). PL 2009, c. 608, §3 (AMD). PL 2015, c. 394, §3 (AMD).