{"id":372170,"date":"2016-03-31T21:34:44","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T02:34:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/criminal-laws\/child-pornography.html"},"modified":"2025-04-28T16:43:49","modified_gmt":"2025-04-28T21:43:49","slug":"child-pornography","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/criminal-laws\/child-pornography.html","title":{"rendered":"State Child Pornography Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n \n State Child Pornography Laws\n <\/h1>\n \n Learn about your state’s laws by using the links below.\n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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\n By Christie Nicholson, J.D.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by FindLaw Staff<\/a>\n | Last reviewed\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

Child pornography is one of the most serious offenses in criminal law. While state and federal laws differ in their treatment of child porn<\/a>, they both impose strict penalties for sex crimes, including child pornography.<\/p>\r\n

Not only are there severe penalties for these criminal offenses, but most jurisdictions require people guilty of these crimes to register as a sex offender<\/a>. This not only affects your criminal record, but it can also damage your reputation and standing in the community.<\/p>\r\n

Whether you’re facing charges for possession of child pornography (Child Sexual Abuse Material<\/a> \u2014 CSAM) or distribution of child porn materials, you should get to know your state laws. You should also consult a skilled criminal defense lawyer<\/a> as soon as possible after your arrest.<\/p>\r\n

This article will offer links to FindLaw articles describing each state’s CSAM laws. We will also offer links to helpful FindLaw resources on this and related topics.<\/p>\r\n

What Are Child Pornography Crimes?<\/h2>\r\n

When most people think of CSAM, they envision someone downloading illicit content on their laptop, phone, or electronic device. But there are different types of child pornography charges. Each carries severe penalties<\/a>, including fines, a prison sentence, and sex offender registration.<\/p>\r\n

Most child pornography offenses involve the possession, creation, or distribution of sexually explicit conduct featuring children. Regardless of the legal age of consent<\/a> in your state, any depiction of someone under 18 years of age in a sexually explicit manner qualifies as pornographic material.<\/p>\r\n

It’s also important to remember that not all child pornography cases involve children engaging in sexual intercourse. It can be a simple visual depiction of a child without their clothes on. State and federal child pornography laws provide precise legal definitions of sexual exploitation of children<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n

Some of the more common CSAM crimes in the U.S. include:<\/p>\r\n