2021 Rhode Island General Laws
Title 11 - Criminal Offenses
Chapter 11-9 - Children
Section 11-9-1.4 - Minor electronically disseminating indecent material to another person - "Sexting" prohibited.

(a) Definitions as used in this section:

(1) "Minor" means any person not having reached eighteen (18) years of age;

(2) "Computer" has the meaning given to that term in § 11-52-1;

(3) "Telecommunication device" means an analog or digital electronic device which processes data, telephony, video, or sound transmission as part of any system involved in the sending and/or receiving at a distance of voice, sound, data, and/or video transmissions;

(4) "Indecent visual depiction" means any digital image or digital video of the minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, and includes data stored on any computer, telecommunication device, or other electronic storage media which is capable of conversion into a visual image;

(5) "Sexually explicit conduct" means actual masturbation or graphic focus on or lascivious exhibition of the nude genitals or pubic area of the minor.

(b) No minor shall knowingly and voluntarily and without threat or coercion use a computer or telecommunication device to transmit an indecent visual depiction of himself or herself to another person.

(c) A violation of this section shall be a status offense and referred to the family court.

(d) Any minor adjudicated under subsection (b) shall not be charged under § 11-9-1.3 and, further, shall not be subject to sex offender registration requirements set forth in § 11-37.1-1 et seq., entitled "Sexual Offender Registration and Community Notification Act."

History of Section.
P.L. 2011, ch. 270, § 1; P.L. 2011, ch. 295, § 1; P.L. 2012, ch. 415, § 1.