Senate unanimously approves Carpenter bill to expand indecent conduct laws to include unsolicited explicit images

AUGUSTA — The Maine Senate unanimously approved a bill from Sen. Mike Carpenter, D-Houlton, that would amend existing indecent conduct laws to include the unwelcome sending of sexually explicit images to children in an initial vote on Tuesday.

LD 1838, “An Act To Amend the Laws Governing Indecent Conduct To Include Distribution of Photographic Images” updates Maine’s indecent conduct laws to include the sending of unsolicited explicit digital images to children.

“This is a simple case of needing to update Maine laws to reflect changes in technology. Our children deserve basic protections from indecent conduct in any form whether it is online, over-the-phone or in person,” said Sen. Carpenter. “This is about keeping kids safe and I’m glad the Senate could come together in a bipartisan manner to approve this legislation.”

Sen. Carpenter submitted this bill after a court case revealed Maine’s indecent exposure laws were not consistent with major technological advances. The amended version of the bill would update state law to make electronic communication and digital images of sexual acts or of another person’s genitals to anyone under 14 years old a class D crime. This change would also apply to anyone 14 or 15 years old who receives such communications from anyone at least 5 years or older.

The bill also makes anyone who sends such images guilty of a class E crime if they send these images after being notified by the person receiving the messages that they do not consent to receiving the images or videos.

LD 1838 will now go to the House for a vote.

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