Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HB364 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3	EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
4	4	[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5	5	hb0364
6	6
7	7	HOUSE BILL 364
8	8	E1 5lr1777
9	9	CF 5lr1776
10	10	By: Delegates Simpson and Acevero
11	11	Introduced and read first time: January 16, 2025
12	12	Assigned to: Judiciary
13	13
14	14	A BILL ENTITLED
15	15
16	16	AN ACT concerning 1
17	17
18	18	Criminal Law – Child Pornography – Prohibitions and Penalties 2
19	19
20	20	FOR the purpose of prohibiting a person from possessing or viewing certain child 3
21	21	pornography under certain circumstances; and generally relating to child 4
22	22	pornography prohibitions and penalties. 5
23	23
24	24	BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 6
25	25	Article – Criminal Law 7
26	26	Section 11–207 and 11–208 8
27	27	Annotated Code of Maryland 9
28	28	(2021 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 10
29	29
30	30	BY adding to 11
31	31	Article – Criminal Law 12
32	32	Section 11–208.2 13
33	33	Annotated Code of Maryland 14
34	34	(2021 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 15
35	35
36	36	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 16
37	37	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 17
38	38
39	39	Article – Criminal Law 18
40	40
41	41	11–207. 19
42	42
43	43	(a) A person may not: 20
44	44
45	45	(1) cause, induce, solicit, or knowingly allow a minor to engage as a subject 21
46	46	in the production of obscene matter or a visual representation or performance that depicts 22
47	47	a minor engaged as a subject in sadomasochistic abuse or sexual conduct; 23
48	48	2 HOUSE BILL 364
49	49
50	50
51	51	(2) photograph or film a minor engaging in an obscene act, sadomasochistic 1
52	52	abuse, or sexual conduct; 2
53	53
54	54	(3) use a computer to depict or describe a minor engaging in an obscene act, 3
55	55	sadomasochistic abuse, or sexual conduct; 4
56	56
57	57	(4) knowingly promote, advertise, solicit, distribute, or possess with the 5
58	58	intent to distribute any matter, visual representation, or performance: 6
59	59
60	60	(i) that depicts a minor engaged as a subject in sadomasochistic 7
61	61	abuse or sexual conduct; or 8
62	62
63	63	(ii) in a manner that reflects the belief, or that is intended to cause 9
64	64	another to believe, that the matter, visual representation, or performance depicts a minor 10
65	65	engaged as a subject of sadomasochistic abuse or sexual conduct; or 11
66	66
67	67	(5) use a computer to knowingly compile, enter, transmit, make, print, 12
68	68	publish, reproduce, cause, allow, buy, sell, receive, exchange, or disseminate any notice, 13
69	69	statement, advertisement, or minor’s name, telephone number, place of residence, physical 14
70	70	characteristics, or other descriptive or identifying information for the purpose of engaging 15
71	71	in, facilitating, encouraging, offering, or soliciting unlawful sadomasochistic abuse or 16
72	72	sexual conduct of or with a minor. 17
73	73
74	74	(b) A person who violates this section is guilty of a felony and on conviction is 18
75	75	subject to: 19
76	76
77	77	(1) for a first violation, imprisonment not exceeding 10 years or a fine not 20
78	78	exceeding $25,000 or both; and 21
79	79
80	80	(2) for each subsequent violation, imprisonment not exceeding 20 years or 22
81	81	a fine not exceeding $50,000 or both. 23
82	82
83	83	(c) (1) (i) This paragraph applies only if the minor’s identity is unknown 24
84	84	or the minor is outside the jurisdiction of the State. 25
85	85
86	86	(ii) In an action brought under this section, the State is not required 26
87	87	to identify or produce testimony from the minor who is depicted in the obscene matter or in 27
88	88	any visual representation or performance that depicts the minor engaged as a subject in 28
89	89	sadomasochistic abuse or sexual conduct. 29
90	90
91	91	(2) The trier of fact may determine whether an individual who is depicted 30
92	92	in an obscene matter, or any visual representation or performance as the subject in 31
93	93	sadomasochistic abuse or sexual conduct, was a minor by: 32
94	94
95	95	(i) observation of the matter depicting the individual; 33
96	96	HOUSE BILL 364 3
97	97
98	98
99	99	(ii) oral testimony by a witness to the production of the matter, 1
100	100	representation, or performance; 2
101	101
102	102	(iii) expert medical testimony; or 3
103	103
104	104	(iv) any other method authorized by an applicable provision of law or 4
105	105	rule of evidence. 5
106	106
107	107	11–208. 6
108	108
109	109	(a) (1) In this section, “indistinguishable from an actual and identifiable child” 7
110	110	means an ordinary person would conclude that the image is of an actual and identifiable 8
111	111	minor. 9
112	112
113	113	(2) “Indistinguishable from an actual and identifiable child” includes a 10
114	114	computer–generated image that has been created, adapted, or modified to appear as an 11
115	115	actual and identifiable child. 12
116	116
117	117	(3) “Indistinguishable from an actual and identifiable child” does not 13
118	118	include images or items depicting minors that are: 14
119	119
120	120	(i) drawings; 15
121	121
122	122	(ii) cartoons; 16
123	123
124	124	(iii) sculptures; or 17
125	125
126	126	(iv) paintings. 18
127	127
128	128	(b) (1) A person may not knowingly possess and intentionally retain a film, 19
129	129	videotape, photograph, or other visual representation showing an actual child or a 20
130	130	computer–generated image that is indistinguishable from an actual and identifiable child 21
131	131	under the age of 16 years: 22
132	132
133	133	(i) engaged as a subject of sadomasochistic abuse; 23
134	134
135	135	(ii) engaged in sexual conduct; or 24
136	136
137	137	(iii) in a state of sexual excitement. 25
138	138
139	139	(2) A person may not knowingly or intentionally access and intentionally 26
140	140	view a film, videotape, photograph, or other visual representation showing an actual child 27
141	141	or a computer–generated image that is indistinguishable from an actual and identifiable 28
142	142	child under the age of 16 years: 29
143	143
144	144	(i) engaged as a subject of sadomasochistic abuse; 30
145	145	4 HOUSE BILL 364
146	146
147	147
148	148	(ii) engaged in sexual conduct; or 1
149	149
150	150	(iii) in a state of sexual excitement. 2
151	151
152	152	(c) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, a person who 3
153	153	violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to imprisonment 4
154	154	not exceeding 5 years or a fine not exceeding $2,500 or both. 5
155	155
156	156	(2) A person who violates this section, having previously been convicted 6
157	157	under this section, is guilty of a felony and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not 7
158	158	exceeding 10 years or a fine not exceeding $10,000 or both. 8
159	159
160	160	(d) Nothing in this section may be construed to prohibit a parent from possessing 9
161	161	visual representations of the parent’s own child in the nude unless the visual 10
162	162	representations show the child engaged: 11
163	163
164	164	(1) as a subject of sadomasochistic abuse; or 12
165	165
166	166	(2) in sexual conduct and in a state of sexual excitement. 13
167	167
168	168	(e) It is an affirmative defense to a charge of violating this section that the person 14
169	169	promptly and in good faith: 15
170	170
171	171	(1) took reasonable steps to destroy each visual representation; or 16
172	172
173	173	(2) reported the matter to a law enforcement agency. 17
174	174
175	175	11–208.2. 18
176	176
177	177	(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION , “IMAGE” MEANS ANY MATTER , VISUAL 19
178	178	REPRESENTATION , OR PERFORMANCE , INCLUDING PHOTOGRAPH S, PICTURES, 20
179	179	ELECTRONIC PHOTOGRAP HS, COMPUTER –GENERATED IMAGES , VIDEOS, 21
180	180	ELECTRONIC VIDEOS , FILM, VIDEOTAPES, OR SIMILAR VISUAL REPRE SENTATIONS 22
181	181	OR VIDEO DEPICTIONS . 23
182	182
183	183	(2) FOR THE PURPOSES OF D ETERMINING THE NUMBE R OF IMAGES 24
184	184	IN POSSESSION OF AN INDIVIDUAL IN VIOLAT ION OF THIS SECTION : 25
185	185
186	186	(I) EACH PHOTOGRAPH , PICTURE, ELECTRONIC PHOTOGRAP H, 26
187	187	COMPUTER –GENERATED IMAGE , OR SIMILAR VISUAL RE PRESENTATION SHALL B E 27
188	188	DEEMED TO BE ONE IMA GE; AND 28
189	189
190	190	(II) EACH VIDEO, ELECTRONIC VIDEO , FILM, VIDEOTAPE, OR 29
191	191	SIMILAR VIDEO DEPICT ION SHALL BE DEEMED TO BE 20 IMAGES. 30
192	192	HOUSE BILL 364 5
193	193
194	194
195	195	(B) (1) A PERSON MAY NOT VIOLA TE § 11–207(A)(4) OR § 11–208(B)(1) OF 1
196	196	THIS SUBTITLE WITH 100 OR MORE IMAGES . 2
197	197
198	198	(2) A PERSON WHO VIOLATES THIS SUBSECTION IS G UILTY OF A 3
199	199	FELONY AND ON CONVIC TION IS SUBJECT TO I MPRISONMENT NOT EXCE EDING 10 4
200	200	YEARS. 5
201	201
202	202	(3) A SENTENCE IMPOSED UND ER THIS SUBSECTION M AY BE 6
203	203	SEPARATE FROM AND CO NSECUTIVE TO OR CONCURREN T WITH A SENTENCE 7
204	204	IMPOSED FOR ANY OTHE R CRIME BASED ON THE A CT ESTABLISHING A VI OLATION 8
205	205	OF § 11–207 OR § 11–208 OF THIS SUBTITLE. 9
206	206
207	207	(C) (1) A PERSON MAY NOT VIOLA TE § 11–207(A)(4) OR § 11–208(B)(1) OR 10
208	208	(2) OF THIS SUBTITLE WIT H ANY IMAGE DEPICTING A MINOR OR AN INDIVIDUAL 11
209	209	INDISTINGUISHABLE FR OM AN ACTUAL AND IDE NTIFIABLE CHILD UNDE R THE AGE 12
210	210	OF 13 YEARS. 13
211	211
212	212	(2) A PERSON WHO VIOLATES THIS SUBSECTION IS G UILTY OF A 14
213	213	FELONY AND ON CONVIC TION IS SUBJECT TO I MPRISONMENT NOT EXCE EDING 10 15
214	214	YEARS. 16
215	215
216	216	(3) A SENTENCE IMPOSED UND ER THIS SUBSECTION M AY BE 17
217	217	SEPARATE FROM AND CO NSECUTIVE TO OR CONC URRENT WITH A SENTENCE 18
218	218	IMPOSED FOR ANY OTHE R CRIME BASED ON THE A CT ESTABLISHING A VI OLATION 19
219	219	OF § 11–207 OR § 11–208 OF THIS SUBTITLE. 20
220	220
221	221	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURT HER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 21
222	222	October 1, 2025. 22
223	223