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Panel hears bill to replace statutory wording with 'child sexual abuse material'
Summary
Sen. Buxton told the Senate Judiciary Committee HB166 would replace an imprecise term in state law with 'child sexual abuse material' to better reflect the reality of recorded abuse; an expert witness, Sarah Ford, testified the change clarifies the law and better supports prosecutions and victim-centered language.
The Senate Judiciary Committee heard House Bill 166, introduced by Senator Buxton, which would replace an imprecise statutory term with the phrase “child sexual abuse material” to describe audiovisual recordings of abuse.
Buxton said the change is intended to improve accuracy in the criminal code and avoid terminology that minimizes the conduct. He asked the committee to hear from an expert on why the update matters.
Sarah Ford, who identified herself as the executive director of DataC and was presented to the committee as the expert witness, told the panel the existing statutory language can read as if the material is for “entertainment.” Ford said that characterization “doesn't even scratch the surface of the abuse that's being videotaped and then disseminated for entertainment,” and argued the term child sexual abuse material (CSA) better captures the gravity of the conduct.
Ford said lawmakers should ensure statutory language aligns with the harm victims suffer and with contemporary prosecutorial and victim-service practices.
The committee took no recorded vote on HB166. Chair called for public comment; none were signed up and the committee moved to other agenda items.
Next steps: the transcript does not record a committee vote or formal referral for HB166 during this session.
