Section 609.79 Obscene or Harassing Telephone Calls - Minnesota Statutes

609.79 OBSCENE OR HARASSING TELEPHONE CALLS.

Subdivision 1.Crime defined; obscene call.

Whoever,

(1) by means of a telephone,

(a) makes any comment, request, suggestion or proposal which is obscene, lewd, or lascivious,

(b) repeatedly makes telephone calls, whether or not conversation ensues, with intent to abuse, disturb, or cause distress,

(c) makes or causes the telephone of another repeatedly or continuously to ring, with intent to abuse, disturb, or cause distress in any person at the called number, or

(2) having control of a telephone, knowingly permits it to be used for any purpose prohibited by this section,

shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

Subd. 1a.

[Repealed, 1993 c 326 art 2 s 34]

Subd. 2.Venue.

The offense may be prosecuted either at the place where the call is made or where it is received or, additionally in the case of wireless or electronic communication, where the sender or receiver resides.

History:

1963 c 753 art 1 s 609.79; 1969 c 174 s 1; 1986 c 444; 1987 c 307 s 5; 1989 c 261 s 7; 1993 c 326 art 2 s 23; 2005 c 136 art 17 s 48