The proposed bill HB2835 seeks to amend existing Arizona laws regarding sexual exploitation of minors by explicitly criminalizing the act of knowingly observing a nude minor for the purpose of engaging in sexual conduct for one's sexual gratification. This new offense would be classified under sexual exploitation of a minor, which is currently defined by various actions such as recording or distributing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexual conduct. Additionally, the bill makes provisions for the existing "Romeo and Juliet Law" to apply to this new offense, allowing for certain defenses in prosecutions if specific criteria regarding the ages of the involved parties are met.

In summary, the bill introduces a new form of sexual exploitation related to the observation of nude minors and aligns it with existing legal defenses for consensual conduct among minors. It modifies the current law by adding this specific act to the list of offenses and clarifying the applicability of defenses under certain circumstances, thereby enhancing the legal framework surrounding the protection of minors from sexual exploitation.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 13-3553
House Engrossed Version: 13-1407, 13-3553, 13-1404, 13-1405, 13-1402, 13-1406, 13-3560