No person, knowing the obscene character of the materials or
performance involved, shall:
A. Display or cause or permit the display of any obscene materials in
or on any window, showcase, newsstand, display rack, billboard, display
board, viewing screen, motion-picture screen marquee or similar place
in such manner that the display is visible from any public street,
highway, sidewalk, transportation facility or other public thoroughfare.
B. Sell, lend, distribute, exhibit, give away or show any obscene materials
to any person 17 years of age or older or offer to sell, lend, distribute,
exhibit or give away or show, or have in his possession with intent
to sell, lend distribute, exhibit or give away or show, any obscene
materials to any persons 17 years of age or older, or knowingly advertise
any obscene materials in any manner.
C. Design, copy, draw, photograph, print, utter, publish or in any manner
manufacture or prepare any obscene materials.
D. Write, print, publish, utter or cause to be written, printed, published
or uttered any advertisement or notice of any kind giving information,
directly or indirectly, stating or purporting to state where, how,
from whom, or by what means any obscene materials can be purchased,
obtained or had.
E. Produce, present or direct any obscene performance or participate
in a portion thereof that is obscene or that contributes to its obscenity.
F. Hire, employ, use or permit any minor child to do or assist in doing
any act or thing mentioned in this section.
As used in this chapter, the following words and phrases shall
have the meanings given to them in this section:
COMMUNITY
For the purpose of applying the contemporary community standards
in this section, the state.
KNOWING
As used in §
99-1, having general knowledge of, or reason to know, or a belief or grounds for a belief which warrants further inspection or inquiry of, the character and content of the performance or any material described in §
99-1 which is reasonably susceptible of examination by the defendant.
MATERIALS
Any literature, including any book, magazine, pamphlet, newspaper,
story paper or comic book, and any figure, visual representation or
image, including any drawing, photograph, picture or motion picture.
OBSCENE
Any material, materials or performance is "obscene" if:
A.
The average person applying contemporary community standards
would find that the subject matter, taken as a whole appeals to the
prurient interest; and
B.
The subject matter depicts or describes, in a patently offensive
way, sexual conduct of a type described in this section; and
C.
The subject matter, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary,
artistic, political, educational or scientific value.
PERFORMANCE
Any play, dance or other live exhibition performed before
an audience.
SEXUAL CONDUCT
As used in §
99-2, patently offensive representations or descriptions of ultimate sexual acts, normal or perverted, actual or simulated, and patently offensive representations or descriptions of masturbation, excretory functions and lewd exhibitions of the genitals.
TRANSPORTATION FACILITY
Any conveyance, premises or place used for or in connection
with public passenger transportation, whether by air, rail, motor
vehicle or any other method, including aircraft, watercraft, railroad,
cars, buses and air, boat, railroad and bus terminals and stations.
No person shall knowingly disseminate, by sale, loan or otherwise,
explicit sexual materials to a minor. "Explicit sexual materials,"
as used in this section, means materials which are obscene or:
A. Any picture, photograph, drawing, sculpture, motion-picture film,
or similar visual representation or image of a person or portion of
the human body which depicts nudity, sexual conduct, or sadomasochistic
abuse and which is harmful to minors; or
B. Any book, pamphlet, magazine, printed matter however reproduced, or sound recording which contains any matter enumerated in §
99-3A, or explicit and detailed verbal descriptions or narrative accounts of sexual excitement, sexual conduct, or sadomasochistic abuse and which, taken as a whole, is harmful to minors.
It shall be unlawful for any person knowingly to exhibit for
monetary consideration to a minor or knowingly to sell to a minor
an admission ticket or pass or knowingly to admit a minor for a monetary
consideration to premises whereon there is exhibited a motion picture
show or other presentation which, in whole or in part, depicts nudity,
sexual conduct, or sadomasochistic abuse and which is harmful to minors,
except that the foregoing shall not apply to any minor accompanied
by his parent.
As used in §§
99-3 and
99-4, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
HARMFUL TO MINORS
That quality of any description or representation in whatever
form of nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement or sadomasochistic
abuse, when it:
A.
Predominately appeals to the prurient, shameful or morbid interest
of minors;
B.
Is patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community
as a whole with respect to what is suitable material for minors;
C.
Is utterly without redeeming social importance for minors.
KNOWINGLY
Having general knowledge of, or reason to know, or a belief
or grounds for belief which warrants further inspection or inquiry,
or both:
A.
The character and content of any material described herein which
is reasonably susceptible of examination by the defendant; and
B.
The age of the minor; provided, however, that an honest mistake
shall constitute an excuse from liability hereunder if the defendant
made a reasonable bona fide attempt to ascertain the true age of such
minor.
MINOR
Any person under the age of 17 years.
NUDITY
The showing of the human male or female genitals, pubic area
or buttocks with less than a fully opaque covering, or the showing
of the female breast with less than a fully opaque covering or any
portion thereof below the top of the nipple, or the depiction of covered
male genitals in a discernibly turgid state.
SADOMASOCHISTIC ABUSE
Flagellation or torture by or upon a person clad in undergarments,
a mask or bizarre costume, or the condition of being fettered, bound
or otherwise physically restrained on the part of one so clothed.
SEXUAL CONDUCT
Acts of masturbation, homosexuality, sexual intercourse,
or physical contact with a person's clothed genitals, pubic area,
buttocks or, if such person is a female, breast.
SEXUAL EXCITEMENT
The condition of human male or female genitals when in a
state of sexual stimulation or arousal.
No person shall knowingly require any distributor or retail
seller, as a condition to the sale or delivery for resale or consignment
of any literature, book, magazine, pamphlet, newspaper, story paper,
paper, comic book, writing, drawing, photograph, figure or image,
or any written or printed matter, or any article or instrument, to
purchase or take by consignment for purposes of sale, resale or distribution
of any obscene literature, book, magazine, pamphlet, newspaper, story
paper, paper, comic book, writing, drawing, photograph, figure or
image, or any written or printed matter of an obscene nature or any
article or instrument of an obscene nature.
Nothing in this chapter shall apply to any recognized historical
society or museum accorded charitable status by the Federal Government,
any county, city, Borough, township or town library, any public library,
any library of any school, college or university or any archive or
library under the supervision and control of the commonwealth or a
political subdivision.
Any person violating any provision of this chapter shall, upon
conviction thereof, be sentenced to a fine of not more than $600 plus
costs and, in default of payment of said fine and costs, to a term
of imprisonment not to exceed 30 days. Each day on which a violation
of this chapter shall continue shall constitute a separate offense.