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House committee hears bill expanding exploitation-of-minor statute to cover coerced viewing and recorded reactions
Summary
A House Community Safety Committee hearing on HB 21-46 heard testimony from law enforcement and prosecutors who said current misdemeanor statutes leave a gap for filmed or livestreamed sexualized conduct involving minors; the bill would expand the felony exploitation statute to include causing a minor to view explicit conduct when the actor knows it will be recorded or performed live.
Corey Patton, staff to the House Community Safety Committee, opened the public hearing on House Bill 21-46, describing a measure that would expand the state's exploitation-of-a-minor statute to include causing a minor to view explicit conduct when the actor knows the conduct will be photographed or part of a live performance.
Steven Thomas, a special victims detective with the Olympia Police Department, told the committee an OPD investigation found an adult had uploaded videos of himself engaging in explicit conduct while his 9-year-old daughter was present and interacting with viewers. Thomas said existing options — typically misdemeanor indecent exposure — did not reflect the gravity of the…
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