This bill introduces comprehensive amendments to New Jersey's laws regarding child exploitation, particularly focusing on child pornography and related offenses. It establishes a new crime specifically targeting items that depict the sexual exploitation or abuse of children, including computer-generated or manipulated images. Key definitions are introduced, such as "child," "distribute," and "manipulated depiction," along with a rebuttable presumption that any "purported child" in such materials is under 18. The bill also enhances penalties for offenses related to the creation, distribution, and possession of exploitative materials, establishing first-degree crimes for severe violations and mandatory minimum sentences for large quantities of such items. Additionally, it emphasizes strict liability for individuals engaging in prohibited conduct involving minors, regardless of their knowledge of the child's age.

Furthermore, the bill amends existing laws to strengthen protections for victims, particularly minors, in cases of serious crimes like sexual assault and human trafficking. It allows for the use of anatomically correct dolls in child witness testimony and permits victims to testify via closed circuit television to reduce trauma. The bill also introduces new legal language regarding the prosecution of child pornography, expands the list of crimes warranting pretrial detention, and modifies eligibility criteria for qualified offenders seeking relief from certain disabilities. It establishes a non-lapsing fund for computer crime prevention and mandates stricter penalties and supervision for serious offenses, particularly those involving sexual crimes against children. Overall, the bill aims to enhance legal protections for minors and ensure that offenders face significant consequences for their actions.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 2A:4A-71.1, 2A:53A-7.4, 2A:82-46, 2A:84A-16.1, 2A:84A-32.4, 2A:156A-8, 2A:162-12, 2A:162-19, 2A:168A-8, 2C:7-2, 2C:13-6, 2C:13-7, 2C:13-10, 2C:14-9, 2C:24-4.1, 2C:39-7, 2C:43-3.8, 2C:43-6.4, 2C:44-6.3, 3B:5-14.1, 5:12-86, 9:2-4.1, 9:3-40.5, 9:6-8.84, 9:6A-10, 18A:6-7.1, 30:4-3.5, 30:4-91.8, 30:4-91.9, 30:4-123.53, 30:4-123.54, 30:4C-26.8, 30:4C-27.19, 30:5B-6.14, 30:5B-25.7, 30:6D-64, 39:5G-2, 39:5H-20, 46:8-56, 46:8-59, 53:1-20.20