45-5-625. Sexual abuse of children. (1) A person commits the offense of sexual abuse of children if the person:
     (a) knowingly employs, uses, or permits the employment or use of a child in an exhibition of sexual conduct, actual or simulated;
     (b) knowingly photographs, films, videotapes, develops or duplicates the photographs, films, or videotapes, or records a child engaging in sexual conduct, actual or simulated;
     (c) knowingly persuades, entices, counsels, or procures a child to engage in sexual conduct, actual or simulated, for use as designated in subsection (1)(a), (1)(b), or (1)(d);
     (d) knowingly processes, develops, prints, publishes, transports, distributes, sells, exhibits, or advertises any visual or print medium in which children are engaged in sexual conduct, actual or simulated;
     (e) knowingly possesses any visual or print medium in which children are engaged in sexual conduct, actual or simulated;
     (f) finances any of the activities described in subsections (1)(a) through (1)(d) and (1)(g), knowing that the activity is of the nature described in those subsections; or
     (g) possesses with intent to sell any visual or print medium in which children are engaged in sexual conduct, actual or simulated.
     (2) (a) A person convicted of the offense of sexual abuse of children shall be punished by life imprisonment or by imprisonment in the state prison for a term not to exceed 100 years and may be fined not more than $10,000.
     (b) Except as provided in 46-18-219, if the victim is under 16 years of age, a person convicted of the offense of sexual abuse of children shall be punished by life imprisonment or by imprisonment in the state prison for a term of not less than 4 years or more than 100 years and may be fined not more than $10,000.
     (c) Except as provided in 46-18-219, a person convicted of the offense of sexual abuse of children for the possession of material, as provided in subsection (1)(e), shall be fined not to exceed $10,000 or be imprisoned in the state prison for a term not to exceed 10 years, or both.
     (3) An offense is not committed under subsections (1)(d) through (1)(g) if the visual or print medium is processed, developed, printed, published, transported, distributed, sold, possessed, or possessed with intent to sell, or if the activity is financed, as part of a sex offender information or treatment course or program conducted or approved by the department of corrections.

     History: En. Sec. 1, Ch. 505, L. 1979; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 638, L. 1993; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 187, L. 1995; amd. Sec. 9, Ch. 482, L. 1995; amd. Sec. 200, Ch. 546, L. 1995; amd. Sec. 5, Ch. 550, L. 1995.