DeStefano, Brown E, Giglio JM, Chang, McGowan, Flood, Novakhov
MLTSPNSR
Amd Art 263 §§263.00 - 263.30, Pen L
Increases from 16 to 18 years the age at which a sexual performance by a child becomes a crime on the part of anyone using, employing, authorizing, producing, directing or promoting any such sexual performance.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A2683
SPONSOR: Blumencranz TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the penal law, in relation to sexual performance by a
child under the age of eighteen years
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To amend Article 263 of the penal law relating to the use of a child in
a sexual performance by changing the age of a child for which the Arti-
cle applies from children under the age of 16 to children under the age
of 18.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:;
Amends Article 263 of the penal law by raising the age of children for
which a person can be convicted of a crime under Article 263 of the
penal law from children under the age of 16 to children under the age of
18.
JUSTIFICATION:
Currently, the penal law relating to the use of a child in a sexual
performance applies only to those children under the age of 16, despite
the fact that, as minors, children under the age of 18 cannot make
legally binding decisions for themselves. It is clear that persons
producing pornographic materials can currently exploit 16 and 17 year
old minors with no criminal deterrent. By raising the age under Article
263 from less than 16 to less than 18, this legislation would correct
this inequity.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
A.4945 of 2021/22; held for consideration in Codes;
A.4152 of 2019/20; referred to Codes;
A.2253 of 2017/18; held for consideration in Codes;
A.2300 of 2015/16; held for consideration in Codes;
A.8416 of 2014, held in Codes;
A.2762 of 2013;
A.2025 of 2011/12;
A.2273 of 2009/10;
A.2438 of 2007/08;
A.5997 of 2005/06;
A.5638 of 2003/04;
A.5231 of 2001/02;
A.1250/5.137 of 1999/00;
A.4810/S.6678 of 1997/98;
A.2235/S.188 of 1995/96.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
On the first day of November next succeeding the date on which it shall
have become a law.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
2683
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 26, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. BLUMENCRANZ -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Codes
AN ACT to amend the penal law, in relation to sexual performance by a
child under the age of eighteen years
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Article 263 of the penal law, as added by chapter 910 of
2 the laws of 1977, subdivisions 1 and 2 of section 263.00, sections
3 263.05, 263.10, 263.15, 263.25 and subdivision 1 of section 263.20 as
4 amended by chapter 1 of the laws of 2000, subdivisions 3 and 7 of
5 section 263.00 as amended by chapter 264 of the laws of 2003, sections
6 263.11 and 263.16 as amended and subdivision 9 of section 263.00 as
7 added by chapter 456 of the laws of 2012 and section 263.30 as added by
8 chapter 431 of the laws of 2008, is amended to read as follows:
9 ARTICLE 263
10 SEXUAL PERFORMANCE BY A CHILD
11 Section 263.00 Definitions.
12 263.05 Use of a child in a sexual performance.
13 263.10 Promoting an obscene sexual performance by a child.
14 263.11 Possessing an obscene sexual performance by a child.
15 263.15 Promoting a sexual performance by a child.
16 263.16 Possessing a sexual performance by a child.
17 263.20 Sexual performance by a child; affirmative defenses.
18 263.25 Proof of age of child.
19 263.30 Facilitating a sexual performance by a child with a
20 controlled substance or alcohol.
21 § 263.00 Definitions.
22 As used in this article the following definitions shall apply:
23 1. "Sexual performance" means any performance or part thereof which,
24 for purposes of section 263.16 of this article, includes sexual conduct
25 by a child less than [sixteen] eighteen years of age or, for purposes of
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06889-01-3
A. 2683 2
1 section 263.05 or 263.15 of this article, includes sexual conduct by a
2 child less than [seventeen] eighteen years of age.
3 2. "Obscene sexual performance" means any performance which, for
4 purposes of section 263.11 of this article, includes sexual conduct by a
5 child less than [sixteen] eighteen years of age or, for purposes of
6 section 263.10 of this article, includes sexual conduct by a child less
7 than [seventeen] eighteen years of age, in any material which is
8 obscene, as such term is defined in section 235.00 of this [chapter]
9 part.
10 3. "Sexual conduct" means actual or simulated sexual intercourse, oral
11 sexual conduct, anal sexual conduct, sexual bestiality, masturbation,
12 sado-masochistic abuse, or lewd exhibition of the genitals.
13 4. "Performance" means any play, motion picture, photograph or dance.
14 Performance also means any other visual representation exhibited before
15 an audience.
16 5. "Promote" means to procure, manufacture, issue, sell, give,
17 provide, lend, mail, deliver, transfer, transmute, publish, distribute,
18 circulate, disseminate, present, exhibit or advertise, or to offer or
19 agree to do the same.
20 6. "Simulated" means the explicit depiction of any of the conduct set
21 forth in subdivision three of this section which creates the appearance
22 of such conduct and which exhibits any uncovered portion of the breasts,
23 genitals or buttocks.
24 7. "Oral sexual conduct" and "anal sexual conduct" mean the conduct
25 defined by subdivision two of section 130.00 of this chapter.
26 8. "Sado-masochistic abuse" means the conduct defined in subdivision
27 five of section 235.20 of this [chapter] part.
28 9. For purposes of sections 263.10, 263.11, 263.15 and 263.16 of this
29 article, the terms "possession," "control" and "promotion" shall not
30 include conduct by an attorney when the performance was provided to such
31 attorney in relation to the representation of a person under investi-
32 gation or charged under this chapter or as a respondent pursuant to the
33 family court act, and is limited in use for the purpose of represen-
34 tation for the period of such representation.
35 § 263.05 Use of a child in a sexual performance.
36 A person is guilty of the use of a child in a sexual performance if
37 knowing the character and content thereof he or she employs, authorizes
38 or induces a child less than [seventeen] eighteen years of age to engage
39 in a sexual performance or being a parent, legal guardian or custodian
40 of such child, he or she consents to the participation by such child in
41 a sexual performance.
42 Use of a child in a sexual performance is a class C felony.
43 § 263.10 Promoting an obscene sexual performance by a child.
44 A person is guilty of promoting an obscene sexual performance by a
45 child when, knowing the character and content thereof, he or she produc-
46 es, directs or promotes any obscene performance which includes sexual
47 conduct by a child less than [seventeen] eighteen years of age.
48 Promoting an obscene sexual performance by a child is a class D felo-
49 ny.
50 § 263.11 Possessing an obscene sexual performance by a child.
51 A person is guilty of possessing an obscene sexual performance by a
52 child when, knowing the character and content thereof, he or she know-
53 ingly has in his or her possession or control, or knowingly accesses
54 with intent to view, any obscene performance which includes sexual
55 conduct by a child less than [sixteen] eighteen years of age.
A. 2683 3
1 Possessing an obscene sexual performance by a child is a class E felo-
2 ny.
3 § 263.15 Promoting a sexual performance by a child.
4 A person is guilty of promoting a sexual performance by a child when,
5 knowing the character and content thereof, he or she produces, directs
6 or promotes any performance which includes sexual conduct by a child
7 less than [seventeen] eighteen years of age.
8 Promoting a sexual performance by a child is a class D felony.
9 § 263.16 Possessing a sexual performance by a child.
10 A person is guilty of possessing a sexual performance by a child when,
11 knowing the character and content thereof, he or she knowingly has in
12 his or her possession or control, or knowingly accesses with intent to
13 view, any performance which includes sexual conduct by a child less than
14 [sixteen] eighteen years of age.
15 Possessing a sexual performance by a child is a class E felony.
16 § 263.20 Sexual performance by a child; affirmative defenses.
17 1. Under this article, it shall be an affirmative defense that the
18 defendant in good faith reasonably believed the person appearing in the
19 performance was, for purposes of section 263.11 or 263.16 of this arti-
20 cle, [sixteen] eighteen years of age or over or, for purposes of section
21 263.05, 263.10 or 263.15 of this article, [seventeen] eighteen years of
22 age or over.
23 2. In any prosecution for any offense pursuant to this article, it is
24 an affirmative defense that the person so charged was a librarian
25 engaged in the normal course of his or her employment, a motion picture
26 projectionist, stage employee or spotlight operator, cashier, doorman,
27 usher, candy stand attendant, porter or in any other non-managerial or
28 non-supervisory capacity in a motion picture theatre; provided he or she
29 has no financial interest, other than his or her employment, which
30 employment does not encompass compensation based upon any proportion of
31 the gross receipts, in the promotion of a sexual performance for sale,
32 rental or exhibition or in the promotion, presentation or direction of
33 any sexual performance, or is in any way responsible for acquiring such
34 material for sale, rental or exhibition.
35 § 263.25 Proof of age of child.
36 Whenever it becomes necessary for the purposes of this article to
37 determine whether a child who participated in a sexual performance was
38 under [an age specified in this article,] the age of eighteen years the
39 court or jury may make such determination by any of the following:
40 personal inspection of the child; inspection of a photograph or motion
41 picture which constituted the sexual performance; oral testimony by a
42 witness to the sexual performance as to the age of the child based upon
43 the child's appearance; expert medical testimony based upon the appear-
44 ance of the child in the sexual performance; and any other method
45 authorized by any applicable provision of law or by the rules of
46 evidence at common law.
47 § 263.30 Facilitating a sexual performance by a child with a controlled
48 substance or alcohol.
49 1. A person is guilty of facilitating a sexual performance by a child
50 with a controlled substance or alcohol when he or she:
51 (a) (i) knowingly and unlawfully possesses a controlled substance as
52 defined in section thirty-three hundred six of the public health law or
53 any controlled substance that requires a prescription to obtain, (ii)
54 administers that substance to a person under the age of [seventeen]
55 eighteen without such person's consent, (iii) intends to commit against
56 such person conduct constituting a felony as defined in section 263.05,
A. 2683 4
1 263.10, or 263.15 of this article, and (iv) does so commit or attempt to
2 commit such conduct against such person; or
3 (b) (i) administers alcohol to a person under the age of [seventeen]
4 eighteen without such person's consent, (ii) intends to commit against
5 such person conduct constituting a felony defined in section 263.05,
6 263.10, or 263.15 of this article, and (iii) does so commit or attempt
7 to commit such conduct against such person.
8 2. For the purposes of this section, "controlled substance" means any
9 substance or preparation, compound, mixture, salt, or isomer of any
10 substance defined in section thirty-three hundred six of the public
11 health law.
12 Facilitating a sexual performance by a child with a controlled
13 substance or alcohol is a class B felony.
14 § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of November next succeed-
15 ing the date on which it shall have become a law.
