Utah 2025 Regular Session

Utah House Bill HB0358 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	Enrolled Copy H.B. 358
	1	+	02-12 09:51 1st Sub. (Buff) H.B. 358
	2	+	Verona Mauga proposes the following substitute bill:
2	3		1
3	4		Criminal Sexual Conduct Amendments
4	5		2025 GENERAL SESSION
5	6		STATE OF UTAH
6	7		Chief Sponsor: Verona Mauga
7		-	Senate Sponsor: ~~Karen Kwan~~
	8	+	Senate Sponsor:
8	9		2
9	10
10	11		3
11	12		LONG TITLE
12	13		4
13	14		General Description:
14	15		5
15	16		This bill concerns criminal sexual conduct.
16	17		6
17	18		Highlighted Provisions:
18	19		7
19	20		This bill:
20	21		8
21	22		▸ defines terms;
22	23		9
23	24		▸ creates the criminal offense of:
24	25		10
25	26		● custodial solicitation of sexually explicit conduct from a person in custody;
26	27		11
27	28		● unlawful sexual activity with a child using virtual reality; and
28	29		12
29	30		● unlawful sexual activity with a minor using virtual reality; and
30	31		13
31	32		▸ provides criminal penalties.
32	33		14
33	34		Money Appropriated in this Bill:
34	35		15
35	36		None
36	37		16
37	38		Other Special Clauses:
38	39		17
39	40		None
40	41		18
41	42		Utah Code Sections Affected:
42	43		19
43	44		ENACTS:
44	45		20
45	46		76-5-412.4, Utah Code Annotated 1953
46	47		21
47	48		76-5-417, Utah Code Annotated 1953
48	49		22
49	50		76-5-418, Utah Code Annotated 1953
50	51		23
51	52
52	53		24
53	54		Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
54	55		25
55	56		Section 1. Section 76-5-412.4 is enacted to read:
56	57		26
57	58		76-5-412.4 . Custodial solicitation of sexually explicit conduct from a person in
58	59		27
59	60		custody.
60	61		28
61		-	(1)(a) As used in this section: ~~H.B. 358 Enrolled Copy~~
	62	+	(1)(a) As used in this section:
62	63		29
63	64		(i) "Actor" means the same as that term is defined in Section 76-5-412.
	65	+	1st Sub. H.B. 358 1st Sub. (Buff) H.B. 358 02-12 09:51
64	66		30
65	67		(ii) "Person in custody" means an individual who is:
66	68		31
67	69		(A) 18 years old or older; and
68	70		32
69	71		(B) otherwise meets the definition of a person in custody as that term is defined in
70	72		33
71	73		Section 76-5-412.
72	74		34
73	75		(iii) "Sexually explicit conduct" means actual or simulated:
74	76		35
75	77		(A) sexual intercourse, including genital-genital, oral-genital, anal-genital, or
76	78		36
77	79		oral-anal, whether between individuals of the same or opposite sex;
78	80		37
79	81		(B) masturbation;
80	82		38
81	83		(C) bestiality;
82	84		39
83	85		(D) sadistic or masochistic activities;
84	86		40
85	87		(E) exhibition of the genitals, pubic region, buttocks, or female breast of any
86	88		41
87	89		individual;
88	90		42
89	91		(F) visual depiction of nudity or partial nudity;
90	92		43
91	93		(G) fondling or touching of the genitals, pubic region, buttocks, or female breast;
92	94		44
93	95		or
94	96		45
95	97		(H) the visual depiction of defecation or urination for the purpose of causing
96	98		46
97	99		sexual arousal of any individual.
98	100		47
99	101		(iv) "Simulated sexually explicit conduct" means a feigned or pretended act of
100	102		48
101	103		sexually explicit conduct that duplicates, within the perception of an average
102	104		49
103	105		person, the appearance of an actual act of sexually explicit conduct.
104	106		50
105	107		(b) Terms defined in Section 76-1-101.5 apply to this section.
106	108		51
107	109		(2) An actor commits custodial solicitation of sexually explicit conduct from a person in
108	110		52
109	111		custody if:
110	112		53
111	113		(a) the actor knowingly requests, demands, or otherwise solicits from a person in
112	114		54
113	115		custody:
114	116		55
115	117		(i) a photograph, image, live video, or a recording of the person in custody engaging
116	118		56
117	119		in sexually explicit conduct or simulated sexually explicit conduct; or
118	120		57
119	121		(ii) a live demonstration or performance by the person in custody engaging in
120	122		58
121	123		sexually explicit conduct or simulated sexually explicit conduct; and
122	124		59
123	125		(b)(i) the actor knows that the individual described in Subsection (2)(a) is a person in
124	126		60
125	127		custody; or
126	128		61
127	129		(ii) a reasonable person in the actor's position should have known under the
128	130		62
129	131		circumstances that the individual described in Subsection (2)(a) was a person in
130		-	- 2 - Enrolled Copy H.B. 358
131	132		63
132	133		custody.
	134	+	- 2 - 02-12 09:51 1st Sub. (Buff) H.B. 358
133	135		64
134	136		(3) A violation of Subsection (2) is a class A misdemeanor.
135	137		65
136	138		(4) If the act committed under Subsection (2) amounts to an offense subject to a greater
137	139		66
138	140		penalty under another provision of state law than is provided under this section, this
139	141		67
140	142		section does not prohibit prosecution and sentencing for the more serious offense.
141	143		68
142	144		(5) Consent of the person in custody is not a defense to any violation or attempted violation
143	145		69
144	146		of Subsection (2).
145	147		70
146	148		(6) This section does not apply to an actor who is acting within the course and scope of the
147	149		71
148	150		actor's legitimate duties, including documenting photographic evidence.
149	151		72
150	152		Section 2. Section 76-5-417 is enacted to read:
151	153		73
152	154		76-5-417 . Unlawful sexual activity with a child using virtual reality.
153	155		74
154	156		(1)(a) As used in this section:
155	157		75
156	158		(i) "Avatar" means a three-dimensional character that represents a human user in a
157	159		76
158	160		virtual reality environment.
159	161		77
160	162		(ii) "Child" means an individual who is younger than 14 years old.
161	163		78
162	164		(iii) "Haptic technology" means technology that can create an experience of touch by
163	165		79
164	166		applying force, vibration, or motion to the human user.
165	167		80
166	168		(iv) "Virtual reality" means a three-dimensional environment in which the human
167	169		81
168	170		user is fully immersed in a computer-generated simulation through the use of an
169	171		82
170	172		avatar, regardless of whether the human user is using haptic technology.
171	173		83
172	174		(b) Terms defined in Section 76-1-101.5 apply to this section.
173	175		84
174	176		(2) An actor commits unlawful sexual activity with a child using virtual reality if the actor:
175	177		85
176	178		(a) is 18 years old or older;
177	179		86
178	180		(b) knows that the human user of an avatar is a child; and
179	181		87
180	182		(c) for the purpose of arousing or gratifying the sexual desire of any individual,
181	183		88
182	184		intentionally uses the actor's avatar to engage in sexual activity or simulated sexual
183	185		89
184	186		activity with the child's avatar involving:
185	187		90
186	188		(i) the genitals, pubic area, or anus of the actor's avatar or the child's avatar; and
187	189		91
188	190		(ii) the mouth, buttocks, pubic area, genitals, or anus of either the actor's avatar or the
189	191		92
190	192		child's avatar.
191	193		93
192	194		(3)(a) Except as provided in Subsection (3)(b), a violation of Subsection (2) is a third
193	195		94
194	196		degree felony.
195	197		95
196	198		(b) A violation of Subsection (2) is a class A misdemeanor if the actor is less than 10
197	199		96
198	200		years older than the child.
199		-	- 3 - H.B. 358 Enrolled Copy
200	201		97
201	202		(4) Consent of the child to engage in the sexual activity is not a defense to a violation of
	203	+	- 3 - 1st Sub. (Buff) H.B. 358 02-12 09:51
202	204		98
203	205		Subsection (2).
204	206		99
205	207		Section 3. Section 76-5-418 is enacted to read:
206	208		100
207	209		76-5-418 . Unlawful sexual activity with a minor using virtual reality.
208	210		101
209	211		(1)(a) As used in this section:
210	212		102
211	213		(i) "Avatar" means the same as that term is defined in Section 76-5-417.
212	214		103
213	215		(ii) "Haptic technology" means the same as that term is defined in Section 76-5-417.
214	216		104
215	217		(iii) "Minor" means an individual who is 14 years old or older but younger than 18
216	218		105
217	219		years old.
218	220		106
219	221		(iv) "Virtual reality" means the same as that term is defined in Section 76-5-417.
220	222		107
221	223		(b) Terms defined in Section 76-1-101.5 apply to this section.
222	224		108
223	225		(2) An actor commits unlawful sexual activity with a minor using virtual reality if the actor:
224	226		109
225	227		(a) knows that the human user of an avatar is a minor;
226	228		110
227	229		(b) is older than the minor by 10 years or more; and
228	230		111
229	231		(c) for the purpose of arousing or gratifying the sexual desire of any individual,
230	232		112
231	233		intentionally uses the actor's avatar to engage in sexual activity or simulated sexual
232	234		113
233	235		activity with the minor's avatar involving:
234	236		114
235	237		(i) the genitals, pubic area, or anus of the actor's avatar or the minor's avatar; and
236	238		115
237	239		(ii) the mouth, buttocks, pubic area, genitals, or anus of either the actor's avatar or the
238	240		116
239	241		minor's avatar.
240	242		117
241	243		(3) A violation of Subsection (2) is a class A misdemeanor.
242	244		118
243	245		(4) Consent of the minor to engage in the sexual activity is not a defense to a violation of
244	246		119
245	247		Subsection (2).
246	248		120
247	249		Section 4. Effective Date.
248	250		121
249	251		This bill takes effect on May 7, 2025.
250	252		- 4 -