§ 2251. Sexual exploitation of children
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/usc/title-18/section-2251A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
(a)Any person who employs, uses, persuades, induces, entices, or coerces any minor to engage in, or who has a minor assist any other person to engage in, or who transports any minor in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, or in any Territory or Possession of the United States, with the intent that such minor engage in, any sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing any visual depiction of such conduct or for the purpose of transmitting a live visual depiction of such conduct, shall be punished as provided under subsection (e), if such person knows or has reason to know that such visual depiction will be transported or transmitted using any means or facility of interstate or foreign commerce or in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce or mailed, if that visual depiction was produced or transmitted using materials that have been mailed, shipped, or transported in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce by any means, including by computer, or if such visual depiction has actually been transported or transmitted using any means or facility of interstate or foreign commerce or in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce or mailed.
(b)Any parent, legal guardian, or person having custody or control of a minor who knowingly permits such minor to engage in, or to assist any other person to engage in, sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing any visual depiction of such conduct or for the purpose of transmitting a live visual depiction of such conduct shall be punished as provided under subsection
(e)of this section, if such parent, legal guardian, or person knows or has reason to know that such visual depiction will be transported or transmitted using any means or facility of interstate or foreign commerce or in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce or mailed, if that visual depiction was produced or transmitted using materials that have been mailed, shipped, or transported in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce by any means, including by computer, or if such visual depiction has actually been transported or transmitted using any means or facility of interstate or foreign commerce or in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce or mailed.
(1)Any person who, in a circumstance described in paragraph (2), employs, uses, persuades, induces, entices, or coerces any minor to engage in, or who has a minor assist any other person to engage in, any sexually explicit conduct outside of the United States, its territories or possessions, for the purpose of producing any visual depiction of such conduct, shall be punished as provided under subsection (e).
(2)The circumstance referred to in paragraph
(1)is that—
(A)the person intends such visual depiction to be transported to the United States, its territories or possessions, by any means, including by using any means or facility of interstate or foreign commerce or mail; or
(B)the person transports such visual depiction to the United States, its territories or possessions, by any means, including by using any means or facility of interstate or foreign commerce or mail.
(1)Any person who, in a circumstance described in paragraph (2), knowingly makes, prints, or publishes, or causes to be made, printed, or published, any notice or advertisement seeking or offering—
(A)to receive, exchange, buy, produce, display, distribute, or reproduce, any visual depiction, if the production of such visual depiction involves the use of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct and such visual depiction is of such conduct; or
(B)participation in any act of sexually explicit conduct by or with any minor for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct;
shall be punished as provided under subsection (e).
(2)The circumstance referred to in paragraph
(1)is that—
(A)such person knows or has reason to know that such notice or advertisement will be transported using any means or facility of interstate or foreign commerce or in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce by any means including by computer or mailed; or
(B)such notice or advertisement is transported using any means or facility of interstate or foreign commerce or in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce by any means including by computer or mailed.
(e)Any individual who violates, or attempts or conspires to violate, this section shall be fined under this title and imprisoned not less than 15 years nor more than 30 years, but if such person has one prior conviction under this chapter, section 1591, chapter 71, chapter 109A, or chapter 117, or under the Uniform Code of Military Justice or the laws of any State relating to aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse, abusive sexual contact involving a minor or ward, or sex trafficking of children, or the production, possession, receipt, mailing, sale, distribution, shipment, or transportation of child pornography, such person shall be fined under this title and imprisoned for not less than 25 years nor more than 50 years, but if such person has 2 or more prior convictions under this chapter, chapter 71, chapter 109A, or chapter 117, or under the Uniform Code of Military Justice or the laws of any State relating to the sexual exploitation of children, such person shall be fined under this title and imprisoned not less than 35 years nor more than life. Any organization that violates, or attempts or conspires to violate, this section shall be fined under this title. Whoever, in the course of an offense under this section, engages in conduct that results in the death of a person, shall be punished by death or imprisoned for not less than 30 years or for life.
(Added Pub. L. 95–225, § 2(a), Feb. 6, 1978, 92 Stat. 7; amended Pub. L. 98–292, § 3, May 21, 1984, 98 Stat. 204; Pub. L. 99–500, § 101(b) [title VII, § 704(a)], Oct. 18, 1986, 100 Stat. 1783–39, 1783–75, and Pub. L. 99–591, § 101(b) [title VII, § 704(a)], Oct. 30, 1986, 100 Stat. 3341–39, 3341–75; Pub. L. 99–628, §§ 2, 3, Nov. 7, 1986, 100 Stat. 3510; Pub. L. 100–690, title VII, § 7511(a), Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4485; Pub. L. 101–647, title XXXV, § 3563, Nov. 29, 1990, 104 Stat. 4928;
Pub. L. 103–322, title VI, § 60011, title XVI, § 160001(b)(2), (c), (e), title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(S)–(U), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 1973, 2037, 2148; Pub. L. 104–208, div. A, title I, § 101(a) [title I, § 121[4]], Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009, 3009–26, 3009–30; Pub. L. 105–314, title II, § 201, Oct. 30, 1998, 112 Stat. 2977; Pub. L. 108–21, title I, § 103(a)(1)(A), (b)(1)(A), title V, §§ 506, 507, Apr. 30, 2003, 117 Stat. 652, 653, 683; Pub. L. 109–248, title II, § 206(b)(1), July 27, 2006, 120 Stat. 614;
Pub. L. 110–358, title I, § 103(a)(1), (b), Oct. 8, 2008, 122 Stat. 4002, 4003; Pub. L. 110–401, title III, § 301, Oct. 13, 2008, 122 Stat. 4242; Pub. L. 118–159, div. A, title V, § 569(2), Dec. 23, 2024, 138 Stat. 1906.)
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Cited by 45 sections · top 33
U.S. Code
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- NoticesNotice of proposed amendments to sentencing guidelines, policy statements, and commentary
statutes-at-large
- Public Law 110–358To amend title 18, United States Code, to provide for more effective prosecution of cases involving child pornography, and for other purposes
- Public Law 101–647To control crime
- Public Law 109–248To protect children from sexual exploitation and violent crime, to prevent child abuse and child pornography, to promote Internet safety, and to honor the memory of Adam Walsh and other child crime victims
- Public Law 95–225To amend title 18 of the United States Code relating to the sexual exploitation of minors, and for other purposes
- Public Law 100–690To prevent the manufacturing, distribution, and use of illegal drugs, and for other purposes
- Public Law 98–292To amend chapter 110 (relating to sexual exploitation of children) of title 18 of the United States Code, and for other purposes
- Public Law 108–21To prevent child abduction and the sexual exploitation of children, and for other purposes
- Public Law 104–207Waiving certain enrollment requirements with respect to any bill or joint resolution of the One Hundred Fourth Congress making genera) or continuing appropriations for fiscal year 1997
- Public Law 99–628To amend title 18 of the United States Code to ban the production and use of advertisements for child pornography or solicitations for child pornography, and for other purposes
- Public Law 110–401To require the Department of Justice to develop and implement a National Strategy Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction, to improve the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, to increase resources for regional computer forensic labs, and to make other improvements to increase the abil
Traces to 17 documents
public-private-law
U.S. Code
- Art. 120. Rape and sexual assault generally§ 920
- Civil remedy for personal injuries§ 2255
- Certain activities relating to material constituting or containing child pornography§ 2252A
- Searches and seizures by government officers and employees in connection with investigation or prosecution of criminal offenses§ 2000aa
- Aggravated sexual abuse§ 2241
- Record keeping requirements§ 2257
- Duties of the Commission§ 994
- Immoral articles; importation prohibited§ 1305
- Obscene or harassing telephone calls in the District of Columbia or in interstate or foreign communications§ 223
- Certain activities relating to material involving the sexual exploitation of minors§ 2252
- Report of business and statistics§ 522
- Transportation of minors§ 2423
- Voluntary disclosure of customer communications or records§ 2702
- Repealed. Pub. L. 110–401, title V, § 501(b)(1), Oct. 13, 2008, 122 Stat. 4251§ 13032
- Definitions for chapter§ 2256
- Report to Congress on sexual exploitation of children§ 41301
90 references not yet in our index
- Pub. L. 95–225, § 2(a)
- 92 Stat. 7
- Pub. L. 98–292, § 3
- 98 Stat. 204
- Pub. L. 99–500, § 101(b) [title VII, § 704(a)]
- 100 Stat. 1783–39
- Pub. L. 99–591, § 101(b) [title VII, § 704(a)]
- 100 Stat. 3341–39
- Pub. L. 99–628
- 100 Stat. 3510
- Pub. L. 100–690, title VII, § 7511(a)
- 102 Stat. 4485
- Pub. L. 101–647, title XXXV, § 3563
- 104 Stat. 4928
- Pub. L. 103–322, title VI, § 60011
- 108 Stat. 1973
- Pub. L. 104–208, div. A, title I, § 101(a) [title I, § 121[4]
- 110 Stat. 3009
- Pub. L. 105–314, title II, § 201
- 112 Stat. 2977
- Pub. L. 108–21, title I, § 103(a)(1)(A)
- 117 Stat. 652
- Pub. L. 109–248, title II, § 206(b)(1)
- 120 Stat. 614
- Pub. L. 110–358, title I, § 103(a)(1)
- 122 Stat. 4002
- Pub. L. 110–401, title III, § 301
- 122 Stat. 4242
- 138 Stat. 1906
- Pub. L. 99–591
- Pub. L. 99–500
- Pub. L. 110–401
- Pub. L. 110–358, § 103(a)(1)(A)
- Pub. L. 110–358, § 103(a)(1)(C)
- Pub. L. 110–358, § 103(a)(1)(D)
- Pub. L. 109–248
- Pub. L. 108–21, § 506(1)
- Pub. L. 108–21, § 506(3)
- Pub. L. 108–21, § 506(2)
- Pub. L. 108–21, § 103(a)(1)(A)
+ 50 more
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§ 2251
Sexual exploitation of children
Fed. Reg.×17
Stat.×17
Stat. Comp.×4
U.S.C.×4
Pub. L.×2
C.F.R.×1
Pub. L.Pub. L. 95–225, § 2(a)
Stat.92 Stat. 7
Pub. L.Pub. L. 98–292, § 3
Cites 107 · showing 12Cited by 45 across 6 sources