Missouri Laws 573.050 – Evidence in obscenity and child pornography cases
1. In any prosecution under this chapter evidence shall be admissible to show:
(1) What the predominant appeal of the material or performance would be for ordinary adults or minors;
Terms Used In Missouri Laws 573.050
- Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
- Child: any person under the age of fourteen. See Missouri Laws 573.010
- 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.
- following: when used by way of reference to any section of the statutes, mean the section next preceding or next following that in which the reference is made, unless some other section is expressly designated in the reference. See Missouri Laws 1.020
- Material: anything printed or written, or any picture, drawing, photograph, motion picture film, videotape or videotape production, or pictorial representation, or any recording or transcription, or any mechanical, chemical, or electrical reproduction, or stored computer data, or anything which is or may be used as a means of communication. See Missouri Laws 573.010
- Performance: any play, motion picture film, videotape, dance or exhibition performed before an audience of one or more. See Missouri Laws 573.010
- person: may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, and to partnerships and other unincorporated associations. See Missouri Laws 1.020
- Sexual performance: any performance, or part thereof, which includes sexual conduct by a child who is less than eighteen years of age. See Missouri Laws 573.010
- State: when applied to any of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" includes such district and territories. See Missouri Laws 1.020
- Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
(2) The literary, artistic, political or scientific value of the material or performance;
(3) The degree of public acceptance in this state and in the local community;
(4) The appeal to prurient interest in advertising or other promotion of the material or performance;
(5) The purpose of the author, creator, promoter, furnisher or publisher of the material or performance.
2. Testimony of the author, creator, promoter, furnisher, publisher, or expert testimony, relating to factors entering into the determination of the issues of obscenity or child pornography, shall be admissible.
3. In any prosecution under this chapter, when it becomes necessary to determine whether a person was less than seventeen or eighteen years of age, the court or jury may make this determination by any of the following methods:
(1) Personal inspection of the child;
(2) Inspection of the photograph or motion picture that shows the child engaging in the sexual performance;
(3) Oral testimony by a witness to the sexual performance as to the age of the child based on the child’s appearance at the time;
(4) Expert medical testimony based on the appearance of the child engaging in the sexual performance; or
(5) Any other method authorized by law or by the rules of evidence.
4. In any prosecution for promoting child pornography in the first or second degree, no showing is required that the performance or material involved appeals to prurient interest, that it lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value, or that it is patently offensive to prevailing standards in the community as a whole.