76-5a-1 - Legislative determinations -- Purpose of chapter. - Utah Statutes

76-5a-1. Legislative determinations -- Purpose of chapter.
The Legislature of Utah determines that the sexual exploitation of minors is excessivelyharmful to their physiological, emotional, social, and mental development; that minors cannotintelligently and knowingly consent to sexual exploitation; that regardless of whether it isclassified as legally obscene, material that sexually exploits minors is not protected by the FirstAmendment of the United States Constitution or by the First or Fifteenth sections of Article I ofthe Utah Constitution and may be prohibited; and that prohibition of and punishment for thedistribution, possession, possession with intent to distribute, and production of materials thatsexually exploit minors is necessary and justified to eliminate the market for those materials andto reduce the harm to the minor inherent in the perpetuation of the record of his sexuallyexploitive activities. It is the purpose of this chapter to prohibit the production, possession,possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of materials which sexually exploit minors,regardless of whether the materials are classified as legally obscene.

Amended by Chapter 226, 1985 General Session