| 6 | 4 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 5 | | relating to the prosecution of the offense of online solicitation |
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| 8 | 6 | | of a minor. |
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| 9 | 7 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 8 | | SECTION 1. Section 33.021(a)(1), Penal Code, is amended to |
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| 11 | 9 | | read as follows: |
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| 12 | 10 | | (1) "Minor" means: |
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| 13 | 11 | | (A) an individual who is [represents himself or |
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| 14 | 12 | | herself to be] younger than 17 years of age; or |
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| 15 | 13 | | (B) an individual whom the actor believes to be |
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| 16 | 14 | | younger than 17 years of age. |
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| 17 | 15 | | SECTION 2. Section 33.021, Penal Code, is amended by |
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| 18 | 16 | | amending Subsections (b), (d), and (e) to read as follows: |
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| 19 | 17 | | (b) A person who is 17 years of age or older commits an |
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| 20 | 18 | | offense if, with the intent to commit an offense listed in Article |
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| 21 | 19 | | 62.001(5)(A), (B), or (K), Code of Criminal Procedure [arouse or |
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| 22 | 20 | | gratify the sexual desire of any person], the person, over the |
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| 23 | 21 | | Internet, by electronic mail or text message or other electronic |
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| 24 | 22 | | message service or system, or through a commercial online service, |
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| 25 | 23 | | intentionally: |
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| 26 | 24 | | (1) communicates in a sexually explicit manner with a |
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| 27 | 25 | | minor; or |
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| 28 | 26 | | (2) distributes sexually explicit material to a minor. |
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| 29 | 27 | | (d) It is not a defense to prosecution under Subsection (c) |
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| 30 | 28 | | that[: |
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| 31 | 29 | | [(1)] the meeting did not occur[; |
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| 32 | 30 | | [(2) the actor did not intend for the meeting to occur; |
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| 33 | 31 | | or |
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| 34 | 32 | | [(3) the actor was engaged in a fantasy at the time of |
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| 35 | 33 | | commission of the offense]. |
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| 36 | 34 | | (e) It is a defense to prosecution under this section that |
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| 37 | 35 | | at the time conduct described by Subsection [(b) or] (c) was |
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| 38 | 36 | | committed: |
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| 39 | 37 | | (1) the actor was married to the minor; or |
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| 40 | 38 | | (2) the actor was not more than three years older than |
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| 41 | 39 | | the minor and the minor consented to the conduct. |
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| 42 | 40 | | SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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| 43 | 41 | | to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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| 44 | 42 | | An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is |
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| 45 | 43 | | governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed, |
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| 46 | 44 | | and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For |
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| 47 | 45 | | purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the |
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| 48 | 46 | | effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred |
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| 49 | 47 | | before that date. |
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| 50 | 48 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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| 49 | + | ______________________________ ______________________________ |
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| 50 | + | President of the Senate Speaker of the House |
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| 51 | + | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 344 passed the Senate on |
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| 52 | + | April 9, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. |
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| 53 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 54 | + | Secretary of the Senate |
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| 55 | + | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 344 passed the House on |
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| 56 | + | May 5, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 146, Nays 0, one present |
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| 57 | + | not voting. |
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| 58 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 59 | + | Chief Clerk of the House |
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| 60 | + | Approved: |
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| 61 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 62 | + | Date |
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| 63 | + | ______________________________ |
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| 64 | + | Governor |
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