The Rhode Island House of Representatives today passed H7766 making it a felony to electronically disseminate sexually explicit images to minors, including photos and videos, as well as live sex acts transmitted via webcam. The legislation was sponsored by Speaker Nicholas Mattiello (D, District 14 – Cranston), on behalf of Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin, and was supported by the Rhode Island Police Chiefs Association.
The legislation passed amends current law to make it a felony to knowingly transmit electronically indecent material to minors. Those in violation would be guilty of a felony and subject to up to five years in jail, a maximum fine of $5,000, or both. In addition, persons found guilty would be subject to sex offender registration.
While Rhode Island has strict child pornography and human trafficking laws, the laws do not address adults sending lewd and sexually explicit photos and videos to children. The act of sending sexually explicit images and video to children is, among other things, a way for predators to "groom" the children to build a relationship that can lead to exploitation and further victimization.
"Sending sexually explicit material to a child online is no different than approaching a child at a playground. Passage of this important legislation ensures that child predators can no longer hide behind a computer screen searching for victims," said Attorney General Peter Kilmartin. "I applaud Speaker Mattiello and the House for recognizing the need to update our Internet safety laws to reflect changing technology and to better protect our children online."
Speaker Mattiello said, "I'm a father, and I believe that protecting the safety and innocence of our children is one of the most important responsibilities of our state. It's critical that our laws keep pace with technology to keep kids safe, especially since today's youngsters are quick adopters of new social media sites and some of the heaviest users of the Internet. We need to stay ahead of predators to ensure that we have every available avenue we need to prevent them from preying on children."
The bill will now head to the Senate for consideration. Senate companion legislation, S2610, sponsored by Senator Frank S. Lombardi (D, District 26 – Cranston) is before the Senate Judiciary Committee.