HB0189

Prohibits adults from engaging in a pattern of harmful sexual communication with minors and establishes criminal penalties, civil liability, and sex offender registration requirements.

• Creates the crime of sexual communication with a minor, applicable to persons 18 years or older who knowingly engage in a pattern of written, electronic, or verbal communication with a minor (or purported minor) more than 4 years younger, containing obscene descriptions or images intended for personal sexual gratification. (W.S. 6-2-321(b))
• Defines 'obscene' communication directed at minors to include explicit sexual descriptions, requests for sexual images, sexualized body descriptions, attempts to normalize adult-minor sexual contact, and behavior designed to desensitize minors to age-inappropriate sexual content based on developmental stage, lack of parental consent, communication context, or ongoing patterns. (W.S. 6-2-321(a)(i))
• Establishes penalties: first offense is a felony with up to 5 years imprisonment and a fine of $1,000-$5,000; second offense carries up to 10 years imprisonment and a fine up to $10,000; third or subsequent offense carries up to 20 years imprisonment and a fine up to $20,000. (W.S. 6-2-321(c))
• Authorizes courts to prohibit convicted persons from using social media during incarceration, probation, or parole, and to forfeit devices used to communicate with minors. (W.S. 6-2-321(d), W.S. 6-2-321(e))
• Creates a civil cause of action allowing victims to sue for damages and other relief deemed reasonable by the court. (W.S. 6-2-321(f))
• Exempts bona fide educational communication about sexual matters by schools, colleges, universities, and their employees from criminal liability. (W.S. 6-2-321(g))
• Adds convictions under the sexual communication with minors statute to the list of offenses requiring sex offender registration and annual in-person address verification with the county sheriff. (W.S. 7-19-302(g))

Effective: Upon completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constitution