Senate Bill sb0144c2

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    Florida Senate - 2001                     CS for CS for SB 144

    By the Committees on Judiciary, Criminal Justice and Senator
    Geller




    308-1884-01

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to improper activity over the

  3         Internet; amending s. 847.001, F.S.; defining

  4         the term "child pornography" for purposes of

  5         ch. 847, F.S.; clarifying the definition of the

  6         term "sexual conduct"; defining the term

  7         "transmit"; creating s. 847.0137, F.S.;

  8         prohibiting transmissions over the Internet of

  9         pornography in specified circumstances;

10         providing penalties; creating s. 847.0139,

11         F.S.; providing immunity from civil liability

12         for reporting child pornography; amending s.

13         905.34, F.S.; extending the jurisdiction of a

14         statewide grand jury to certain offenses

15         relating to computer pornography and

16         exploitation; providing an effective date.

17

18         WHEREAS, The Florida Information Service Technology

19  Development Task Force, in finding that the Internet offers

20  many opportunities for criminal activity and victimization,

21  specifically addressed a subset of that criminal activity

22  relating to the transmission, including Internet transmission,

23  of adult and child pornography, and

24         WHEREAS, the task force, while it recognizes that such

25  transmission is a complicated matter involving First Amendment

26  issues regarding adult pornography and jurisdictional issues

27  regarding child pornography, nevertheless agreed that internet

28  transmission of child pornography to a person in this state

29  constitutes a crime and that Florida has jurisdiction over any

30  person inside or outside this state who engages in such

31  transmission and over any person who knows or should know that

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  1  he or she is transmitting pornography to a minor in this

  2  state, and

  3         WHEREAS, the task force also agreed with the statement

  4  that any person in this state who transmits child pornography

  5  to anyone inside or outside this state commits a crime and

  6  that Florida has jurisdiction over such person, and

  7         WHEREAS, the task force also agreed with the statement

  8  that any person outside this state who transmits child

  9  pornography to any person inside this state or who knows or

10  should know that he or she is doing so commits a crime and

11  that Florida has jurisdiction over such person, and

12         WHEREAS, the Legislature also agrees with these

13  statements and finds that these statements should extend to

14  instances in which a person transmits child pornography to

15  someone whom he or she believes to be a minor but who is

16  actually a law enforcement officer engaged in an investigation

17  or operation in accordance with the laws of this state, which

18  is already statutorily authorized in relation to

19  computer-solicitation offenses against minors, and

20         WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that the First Amendment

21  is not violated by prohibiting the transmission by any means

22  of pornography of any kind to a minor nor by prohibiting the

23  transmission of child pornography to any person, and

24         WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that the prohibition of

25  the acts or conduct reflected by the various statements agreed

26  upon by the task force and the Legislature can be accomplished

27  by amending the laws of this state, and

28         WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that the laws of this

29  state may be amended to address jurisdictional concerns

30  regarding child pornography, as those concerns have already

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  1  been addressed by the Legislature regarding

  2  computer-solicitation offenses against minors, and

  3         WHEREAS, the task force also recommended that

  4  legislation be enacted which would not require anyone to

  5  report pornography, including child pornography, but which

  6  would grant civil immunity from lawsuits to any person who

  7  reports to appropriate law enforcement agents what the person

  8  reasonably believes to be child pornography, and

  9         WHEREAS, the Legislature finds this recommendation

10  could lead to the apprehension of persons conveying child

11  pornography by any means but protects persons from possible

12  arrest based on unsubstantiated or false accusations or

13  statements or the submission of falsified evidence by the

14  person reporting the child pornography, and

15         WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that the laws of this

16  state may be amended to grant civil immunity to any persons

17  who report what they reasonably believe to be child

18  pornography to appropriate law enforcement agents, including

19  immunity from civil liability for a person who furnishes a

20  copy of a photograph or other evidence to law enforcement

21  agents of what the person reasonably believes to be child

22  pornography, NOW, THEREFORE,

23

24  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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26         Section 1.  Section 847.001, Florida Statutes, is

27  amended to read:

28         847.001  Definitions.--As When used in this chapter,

29  the term:

30         (1)  "Child pornography" means any image depicting a

31  minor engaged in sexual conduct.

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  1         (2)(1)  "Computer" means an electronic, magnetic,

  2  optical, electrochemical, or other high-speed data processing

  3  device performing logical, arithmetic, or storage functions

  4  and includes any data storage facility or communications

  5  facility directly related to or operating in conjunction with

  6  such device. The term also includes: any on-line service,

  7  Internet service, or local bulletin board; any electronic

  8  storage device, including a floppy disk or other magnetic

  9  storage device; or any compact disc that has read-only memory

10  and the capacity to store audio, video, or written materials.

11         (3)(2)  "Deviate sexual intercourse" means sexual

12  conduct between persons not married to each other consisting

13  of contact between the penis and the anus, the mouth and the

14  penis, or the mouth and the vulva.

15         (4)(3)  "Harmful to minors" means that quality of any

16  description, exhibition, presentation, or representation, in

17  whatever form, of nudity, sexual conduct, or sexual excitement

18  when it:

19         (a)  Predominantly appeals to the prurient, shameful,

20  or morbid interest of minors;

21         (b)  Is patently offensive to prevailing standards in

22  the adult community as a whole with respect to what is

23  suitable material for minors; and

24         (c)  Taken as a whole, is without serious literary,

25  artistic, political, or scientific value for minors.

26

27  A mother's breastfeeding of her baby is not under any

28  circumstance "harmful to minors."

29         (5)(4)  "Minor" means any person under the age of 18

30  years.

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  1         (6)(5)  "Nudity" means the showing of the human male or

  2  female genitals, pubic area, or buttocks with less than a

  3  fully opaque covering; or the showing of the female breast

  4  with less than a fully opaque covering of any portion thereof

  5  below the top of the nipple; or the depiction of covered male

  6  genitals in a discernibly turgid state.  A mother's

  7  breastfeeding of her baby does not under any circumstance

  8  constitute "nudity," irrespective of whether or not the nipple

  9  is covered during or incidental to feeding.

10         (7)(6)  "Person" includes individuals, firms,

11  associations, corporations, and all other groups and

12  combinations.

13         (8)(7)  "Obscene" means the status of material which:

14         (a)  The average person, applying contemporary

15  community standards, would find, taken as a whole, appeals to

16  the prurient interest;

17         (b)  Depicts or describes, in a patently offensive way,

18  sexual conduct as specifically defined herein; and

19         (c)  Taken as a whole, lacks serious literary,

20  artistic, political, or scientific value.

21

22  A mother's breastfeeding of her baby is not under any

23  circumstance "obscene."

24         (9)(8)  "Sadomasochistic abuse" means flagellation or

25  torture by or upon a person or animal, or the condition of

26  being fettered, bound, or otherwise physically restrained, for

27  the purpose of deriving sexual satisfaction, or satisfaction

28  brought about as a result of sadistic violence, from

29  inflicting harm on another or receiving such harm oneself.

30         (10)(9)  "Sexual battery" means oral, anal, or vaginal

31  penetration by, or union with, the sexual organ of another or

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  1  the anal or vaginal penetration of another by any other

  2  object; however, "sexual battery" does not include an act done

  3  for a bona fide medical purpose.

  4         (11)(10)  "Sexual bestiality" means any sexual act

  5  between a person and an animal involving the sex organ of the

  6  one and the mouth, anus, or vagina of the other.

  7         (12)(11)  "Sexual conduct" means actual or simulated

  8  sexual intercourse, deviate sexual intercourse, sexual

  9  bestiality, masturbation, or sadomasochistic abuse; actual

10  lewd exhibition of the genitals; actual physical contact with

11  a person's clothed or unclothed genitals, pubic area,

12  buttocks, or, if such person is a female, breast with the

13  intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of either party;

14  or any act or conduct which constitutes sexual battery or

15  simulates that sexual battery is being or will be committed.

16  A mother's breastfeeding of her baby does not under any

17  circumstance constitute "sexual conduct."

18         (13)(12)  "Sexual excitement" means the condition of

19  the human male or female genitals when in a state of sexual

20  stimulation or arousal.

21         (14)(13)  "Simulated" means the explicit depiction of

22  conduct described in subsection (12) (11) which creates the

23  appearance of such conduct and which exhibits any uncovered

24  portion of the breasts, genitals, or buttocks.

25         (15)  "Transmit" means to send an electronic mail

26  communication to a specified electronic mail address or

27  addresses.

28         Section 2.  Section 847.0137, Florida Statutes, is

29  created to read:

30         847.0137  Transmission of pornography by means of the

31  Internet prohibited; penalties.--

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  1         (1)  For purposes of this section, the term "minor"

  2  means any person less than 18 years of age.

  3         (2)  Notwithstanding ss. 847.012 and 847.0133, any

  4  person in this state who knew that he or she was transmitting,

  5  by means of the Internet:

  6         (a)  Child pornography, as defined in s. 847.001, to

  7  another person in this state or in another jurisdiction; or

  8         (b)  An image harmful to minors, as defined in s.

  9  847.001, to a known minor, or a person believed to be a minor,

10  in this state

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12  commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided

13  in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.

14         (3)  Notwithstanding ss. 847.012 and 847.0133, any

15  person in any jurisdiction other than this state who knew that

16  he or she was transmitting, by means of the Internet:

17         (a)  Child pornography, as defined in s. 847.001, to

18  any person in this state; or

19         (b)  An image harmful to minors, as defined in s.

20  847.001, to a known minor, or a person believed to be a minor,

21  in this state

22

23  commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided

24  in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.

25         (4)  This section does not apply to subscription-based

26  transmissions such as list servers.

27         (5)  This section does not prohibit the prosecution of

28  a person in this state or another jurisdiction for a violation

29  of any law of this state, including a law providing for

30  penalties greater than those prescribed in this section, for

31  the transmission, by means of the Internet, of an image

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  1  harmful to minors, or child pornography, as defined in s.

  2  847.001, to any person in this state.

  3         (6)  A person is subject to prosecution in this state

  4  pursuant to chapter 910 for any act or conduct proscribed by

  5  this section, including a person in a jurisdiction other than

  6  this state, if the act or conduct violates paragraph (3)(a) or

  7  paragraph (3)(b).

  8         Section 3.  Section 847.0139, Florida Statutes, is

  9  created to read:

10         847.0139  Immunity from civil liability for reporting

11  child pornography.--Any person who reports to a law

12  enforcement officer what the person reasonably believes to be

13  child pornography as defined in s. 847.001(1) may not be held

14  civilly liable for reporting such information. For purposes of

15  this section, reporting child pornography to a law enforcement

16  officer may include furnishing the officer with a copy of a

17  photograph or other evidence of what the person reasonably

18  believes to be child pornography.

19         Section 4.  Section 905.34, Florida Statutes, is

20  amended to read:

21         905.34  Powers and duties; law applicable.--The

22  jurisdiction of a statewide grand jury impaneled under this

23  chapter shall extend throughout the state. The subject matter

24  jurisdiction of the statewide grand jury shall be limited to

25  the offenses of:

26         (1)  Bribery, burglary, carjacking, home-invasion

27  robbery, criminal usury, extortion, gambling, kidnapping,

28  larceny, murder, prostitution, perjury, and robbery;

29         (2)  Crimes involving narcotic or other dangerous

30  drugs;

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  1         (3)  Any violation of the provisions of the Florida

  2  RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization) Act,

  3  including any offense listed in the definition of racketeering

  4  activity in s. 895.02(1)(a), providing such listed offense is

  5  investigated in connection with a violation of s. 895.03 and

  6  is charged in a separate count of an information or indictment

  7  containing a count charging a violation of s. 895.03, the

  8  prosecution of which listed offense may continue independently

  9  if the prosecution of the violation of s. 895.03 is terminated

10  for any reason;

11         (4)  Any violation of the provisions of the Florida

12  Anti-Fencing Act;

13         (5)  Any violation of the provisions of the Florida

14  Antitrust Act of 1980, as amended;

15         (6)  Any crime involving, or resulting in, fraud or

16  deceit upon any person;

17         (7)  Any violation of s. 847.0135, relating to computer

18  pornography and child exploitation prevention or any offense

19  related to a violation of s. 847.0135;

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21  or any attempt, solicitation, or conspiracy to commit any

22  violation of the crimes specifically enumerated above, when

23  any such offense is occurring, or has occurred, in two or more

24  judicial circuits as part of a related transaction or when any

25  such offense is connected with an organized criminal

26  conspiracy affecting two or more judicial circuits.  The

27  statewide grand jury may return indictments and presentments

28  irrespective of the county or judicial circuit where the

29  offense is committed or triable.  If an indictment is

30  returned, it shall be certified and transferred for trial to

31  the county where the offense was committed.  The powers and

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  1  duties of, and law applicable to, county grand juries shall

  2  apply to a statewide grand jury except when such powers,

  3  duties, and law are inconsistent with the provisions of ss.

  4  905.31-905.40.

  5         Section 5.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2001.

  6

  7          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
  8                            CS/SB 144

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10  Expands the jurisdiction of the statewide grand jury to
    inquire into crimes involving violations of the Computer
11  Pornography and Child Exploitation Prevention Act under s.
    847.0135, F.S.
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