United States Federal Statutes provided by your criminal lawyer

Learn the law. Here is the sexual abuse and sex crime law from the United States Federal Code.

Note: These excerpts are for informational purposes only. Please consult your child molestation attorney for legal advice if you are in need of only the best child abuse defense .

From the United States Code Online via GPO Access
[wais.access.gpo.gov]
[Laws in effect as of January 7, 2003]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 7, 2003 and February 12, 2003]
[CITE: 18USC2256]

TITLE 18--CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE

PART I--CRIMES

CHAPTER 110--SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND OTHER ABUSE OF CHILDREN

Sec. 2256. Definitions for chapter

For the purposes of this chapter, the term--

(1) ``minor'' means any person under the age of eighteen years;

(2) ``sexually explicit conduct'' means actual or simulated--

(A) sexual intercourse, including genital-genital, oral- genital, anal-genital, or oral-anal, whether between persons of the same or opposite sex;

(B) bestiality;

(C) masturbation;

(D) sadistic or masochistic abuse; or

(E) lascivious exhibition of the genitals or pubic area of any person;

(3) ``producing'' means producing, directing, manufacturing, issuing, publishing, or advertising;

(4) ``organization'' means a person other than an individual;

(5) ``visual depiction'' includes undeveloped film and videotape, and data stored on computer disk or by electronic means which is capable of conversion into a visual image;

(6) ``computer'' has the meaning given that term in section 1030 of this title;

(7) ``custody or control'' includes temporary supervision over or responsibility for a minor whether legally or illegally obtained;

(8) ``child pornography'' means any visual depiction, including any photograph, film, video, picture, or computer or computer-generated image or picture, whether made or produced by electronic, mechanical, or other means, of sexually explicit conduct, where--

(A) the production of such visual depiction involves the use of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct;

(B) such visual depiction is, or appears to be, of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct;

(C) such visual depiction has been created, adapted, or modified to appear that an identifiable minor is engaging in sexually explicit conduct; or

(D) such visual depiction is advertised, promoted, presented, described, or distributed in such a manner that conveys the impression that the material is or contains a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct; and

(9) ``identifiable minor''--

(A) means a person--

(i)(I) who was a minor at the time the visual depiction was created, adapted, or modified; or

(II) whose image as a minor was used in creating, adapting, or modifying the visual depiction; and

(ii) who is recognizable as an actual person by the person's face, likeness, or other distinguishing characteristic, such as a unique birthmark or other recognizable feature; and (B) shall not be construed to require proof of the actual identity of the identifiable minor.

(Added Pub. L. 95-225, Sec. 2(a), Feb. 6, 1978, 92 Stat. 8, Sec. 2253; renumbered Sec. 2255 and amended Pub. L. 98-292, Sec. 5, May 21, 1984, 98 Stat. 205; renumbered Sec. 2256, Pub. L. 99-500, Sec. 101(b) [title VII, Sec. 703(a)], Oct. 18, 1986, 100 Stat. 1783-39, 1783-74, and Pub. L. 99-591, Sec. 101(b) [title VII, Sec. 703(a)], Oct. 30, 1986, 100 Stat. 3341-39, 3341-74; Pub. L. 99-628, Sec. 4, Nov. 7, 1986, 100 Stat. 3510; Pub. L. 100-690, title VII, Secs. 7511(c), 7512(b), Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4485, 4486; Pub. L. 104-208, div. A, title I, Sec. 101(a) [title I, Sec. 121[2]], Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009, 3009-26, 3009- 27.)

Codification
Pub. L. 99-591 is a corrected version of Pub. L. 99-500.