The bill amends Section 11-64-3 of the General Laws regarding "Electronic Imaging Devices" to establish the offense of unauthorized dissemination of indecent material. It specifies that a person is guilty of this offense if they intentionally disseminate, publish, or sell an image depicting another identifiable person engaged in sexually explicit conduct or showing their intimate areas, including any image created by a digital device or altered by digitization, particularly if the image was created without the consent of the depicted individual. The bill outlines that the offense occurs under circumstances where a reasonable person would know or understand that the image was to remain private.

The bill also delineates exceptions to this offense, such as images voluntarily exposed in public settings or disseminated for public interest, scientific, or educational purposes. Penalties for violations are established, with first offenses classified as misdemeanors and subsequent offenses as felonies, carrying potential imprisonment and fines. The bill further addresses threats to disclose such images for personal gain and demands for payment in exchange for removing images from public view, both classified as felonies. Importantly, individuals convicted under this section will not be subject to sex offender registration requirements. The act is set to take effect upon passage.

Statutes affected:
5046: 11-64-3