Part 1. Obscenity - Offenses

As used in this part 1, unless the context otherwise requires:
(1) “Material” means anything tangible that is capable of being used or adapted to arouse interest, whether through the medium of reading, observation, sound, or in any other manner, but does not include an actual three-dimensional obscene device.
(1.5) “Minor” means a person under eighteen years of age.
(2) “Obscene” means material or a performance that:
(a) The average person, applying contemporary community standards, would find that taken as a whole appeals to the prurient interest in sex;
(b) Depicts or describes:
(I) Patently offensive representations or descriptions of ultimate sex acts, normal or perverted, actual or simulated, including sexual intercourse, sodomy, and sexual bestiality; or
(II) Patently offensive representations or descriptions of masturbation, excretory functions, sadism, masochism, lewd exhibition of the genitals, the male or female genitals in a state of sexual stimulation or arousal, or covered male genitals in a discernibly turgid state; and
(c) Taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.
(3) “Obscene device” means a device including a dildo or artificial vagina, designed or marketed as useful primarily for the stimulation of human genital organs.
(4) “Patently offensive” means so offensive on its face as to affront current community standards of tolerance.
(5) “Performance” means a play, motion picture, dance, or other exhibition performed before an audience.
(6) “Promote” means to manufacture, issue, sell, give, provide, lend, mail, deliver, transfer, transmit, publish, distribute, circulate, disseminate, present, exhibit, or advertise, or to offer or agree to do the same.
(6.5) “Prurient interest” means a shameful or morbid interest.
(7) “Simulated” means the explicit depiction or description of any of the types of conduct set forth in paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of this section, which creates the appearance of such conduct.
(8) “Wholesale promote” means to manufacture, issue, sell, provide, mail, deliver, transfer, transmit, publish, distribute, circulate, disseminate, or to offer or agree to do the same for purpose of resale.
(9) If any of the depictions or descriptions of sexual conduct described in this section are declared by a court of competent jurisdiction to be unlawfully included herein, this declaration shall not invalidate this section as to other patently offensive sexual conduct included herein.

(1)
(a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (1.5) of this section, a person commits wholesale promotion of obscenity if, knowing its content and character, such person wholesale promotes or possesses with intent to wholesale promote any obscene material.
(b) Wholesale promotion of obscenity is a class 1 misdemeanor.
(1.5)
(a) A person commits wholesale promotion of obscenity to a minor if, knowing its content and character, such person wholesale promotes to a minor or possesses with intent to wholesale promote to a minor any obscene material.
(b) Wholesale promotion of obscenity to a minor is a class 6 felony.
(2)
(a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (2.5) of this section, a person commits promotion of obscenity if, knowing its content and character, such person:
(I) Promotes or possesses with intent to promote any obscene material; or
(II) Produces, presents, or directs an obscene performance or participates in a portion thereof that is obscene or that contributes to its obscenity.
(b) Promotion of obscenity is a class 2 misdemeanor.
(2.5)
(a) A person commits promotion of obscenity to a minor if, knowing its content and character, such person:
(I) Promotes to a minor or possesses with intent to promote to a minor any obscene material; or
(II) Produces, presents, or directs an obscene performance involving a minor or participates in a portion thereof that is obscene or that contributes to its obscenity.
(b) Promotion of obscenity to a minor is a class 6 felony.
(3) Repealed.
(4) A person who possesses six or more identical obscene materials is presumed to possess them with intent to promote the same.
(5) This section does not apply to a person who possesses or distributes obscene material or participates in conduct otherwise proscribed by this section when the possession, participation, or conduct occurs in the course of law enforcement activities.
(6) This section does not apply to a person’s conduct otherwise proscribed by this section which occurs in that person’s residence as long as that person does not engage in the wholesale promotion or promotion of obscene material in his residence.

(1) The district courts of this state and the judges thereof shall have full power, authority, and jurisdiction to enjoin the wholesale promotion, promotion, or display of obscene materials as specified in this section and to issue all necessary and proper restraining orders, injunctions, and writs and processes in connection therewith not inconsistent with this article.
(2) The district attorney of the county in which a person, firm, or corporation wholesale promotes, promotes, or displays, or is about to wholesale promote, promote, or display, or has in his, her, or its possession with intent to wholesale promote, promote, or display, or is about to acquire possession with intent to wholesale promote, promote, or display any obscene material may maintain an action for injunction against such person, firm, or corporation to prevent the wholesale promotion, promotion, or display or further wholesale promotion, promotion, or display of said material described or identified in said suit for injunction.
(3) This article shall not authorize the issuance of temporary restraining orders except where exigent circumstances require the same. In matters of exigent circumstances, the restraining order shall provide that the action must be commenced on the earliest possible date. No temporary restraining order may be issued to restrain the continued exhibitions of a motion picture being shown commercially before the public, notwithstanding the existence of exigent circumstances.
(4) No temporary restraining order or temporary injunction may be issued except after notice to the person, firm, or corporation sought to be enjoined and only after all parties have been offered or afforded an opportunity to be heard. A person, firm, or corporation shall be deemed to have been offered or afforded an opportunity to be heard if notice has been given and he, she, or it fails to appear. At such hearing, evidence shall be presented and witnesses examined.
(5) Before or after the commencement of the hearing on an application for a temporary injunction, the court may, and on motion of the party sought to be restrained shall, order the trial on the action on the merits to be advanced and consolidated with the hearing on the application. Where such hearings are not so consolidated, and a temporary injunction or restraining order is issued, the court shall hold a final hearing and a trial of the issues within one day after joinder of issue, and a decision shall be rendered within two days of the conclusion of the trial. If a final hearing is not held within one day after joinder of issue or a decision not rendered within two days of the conclusion of the trial, the injunction shall be dissolved. No temporary injunction or restraining order shall issue until after a showing of probable cause to believe that the material or display is obscene and a showing of probable success on the merits. Any such temporary injunction or restraining order shall provide that the defendant may not be punished for contempt if the material is found not to be obscene after joinder of issue, final hearing, and trial.
(6) Nothing contained in this article shall prevent the court from issuing a temporary restraining order forbidding the removing, destroying, deleting, splicing, or otherwise altering of any motion picture alleged to be obscene.
(7) Any person, firm, or corporation sought to be permanently enjoined shall be entitled to a full adversary trial of the issues within one day after the joinder of issue, and a decision shall be rendered by the court within two days of the conclusion of the trial. If the defendant in any suit for a permanent injunction filed under the terms of this article shall fail to answer or otherwise join issue within the time required to file his, her, or its answer, the court, on motion of the party applying for the injunction, shall enter a general denial for the defendant and set a date for hearing on the question raised in the suit for injunction within fourteen days following the entry of the general denial entered by the court. The court shall render its decision within two days after the conclusion of the hearing.
(8) In the event that a final order or judgment of injunction is entered against the person, firm, or corporation sought to be enjoined, such final order or judgment shall contain a provision directing the person, firm, or corporation to surrender to the sheriff of the county in which the action was brought any of the material described in subsection (2) of this section, and such sheriff shall be directed to seize and destroy the same six months after the entry of the said final order unless criminal proceedings or an indictment is brought before that time, in which event, said material may be used as evidence in such criminal proceeding.
(9) In any action brought as herein provided, the district attorney shall not be required to file any undertaking, bond, or security before the issuance of any injunction order provided for above, shall not be liable for costs, and shall not be liable for damages sustained by reason of the injunction order in cases where judgment is rendered in favor of the person, firm, or corporation sought to be enjoined.
(10) Every person, firm, or corporation who wholesale promotes, promotes, displays, or acquires possession with intent to wholesale promote, promote, or display any of the material described in subsection (2) of this section, after the service upon him of a summons and complaint in an action brought pursuant to this article, is chargeable with knowledge of the contents.

Source: L. 81: Entire part R&RE, p. 1001, § 1, effective July 1. L. 86: Entire section repealed, p. 785, § 8, effective April 21.

When a person or persons, through an enterprise, engage in a pattern of racketeering activity for which the predicate offenses are the promotion or wholesale promotion of obscenity, pursuant to article 17 of this title, the difference in the fair market value of real property in the vicinity of the location of such enterprise from what the value would be if such enterprise or any part thereof were not located in the vicinity, as established by the opinion testimony of experts or otherwise, shall be deemed a compensable injury for which the owners of victimized real property can exercise all civil remedies set forth in article 17 of this title, in addition to any other measure of damages provable pursuant to article 17 of this title.

If any provision of this part 1 is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be unconstitutional, the remaining provisions of this part 1 are valid, unless it appears to the court that the valid provisions of this part 1 are so essentially and inseparably connected with, and so dependent upon, the void provision that it cannot be presumed that the general assembly would have enacted the valid provisions without the void provision or unless the court determines that the valid provisions, standing alone, are incomplete and are incapable of being executed in accordance with the legislative intent.

Source: L. 81: Entire part R&RE, p. 1002, § 1, effective July 1.

(1)
(a) An actor who is eighteen years of age or older commits the offense of posting a private image for harassment if he or she posts or distributes through the use of social media or any website any photograph, video, or other image displaying the private intimate parts of an identified or identifiable person eighteen years of age or older or an image displaying sexual acts of an identified or identifiable person:
(I) With the intent to harass, intimidate, or coerce the depicted person;
(II)
(A) Without the depicted person’s consent; or
(B) When the actor knew or should have known that the depicted person had a reasonable expectation that the image would remain private; and
(III) The conduct results in serious emotional distress of the depicted person.
(b) Posting a private image for harassment is a class 1 misdemeanor.
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 18-1.3-501 (1)(a), in addition to any other sentence the court may impose, the court shall fine the defendant up to ten thousand dollars. The fines collected pursuant to this paragraph (c) shall be credited to the crime victim compensation fund created in section 24-4.1-117, C.R.S.
(2) Repealed.
(3) Nothing in this section precludes punishment under any section of law providing for greater punishment.
(4)
(a) Repealed.
(b) An individual whose private intimate parts have been posted or an individual who has had an image displaying sexual acts of the individual posted in accordance with this section shall retain a protectable right of authorship regarding the commercial use of the private image.
(5) Nothing in this section shall be construed to impose liability on the provider of an interactive computer service, as defined in 47 U.S.C. sec. 230 (f)(2), an information service, as defined in 47 U.S.C. sec. 153, or a telecommunications service, as defined in 47 U.S.C. sec. 153, for content provided by another person.
(6) For purposes of this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
(a) “Displaying sexual acts” means any display of sexual acts even if the private intimate parts are not visible in the image.
(b) “Image” means a photograph, film, videotape, recording, digital file, or other reproduction.
(c) “Private intimate parts” means external genitalia or the perineum or the anus or the pubes of any person or the breast of a female.
(d) “Sexual acts” means sexual intrusion or sexual penetration as defined by section 18-3-401.
(e) “Social media” means any electronic medium, including an interactive computer service, telephone network, or data network, that allows users to create, share, and view user-generated content, including but not limited to videos, still photographs, blogs, video blogs, podcasts, instant messages, electronic mail, or internet website profiles.

(1)
(a) An actor who is eighteen years of age or older commits the offense of posting a private image for pecuniary gain if he or she posts or distributes through social media or any website any photograph, video, or other image displaying the private intimate parts of an identified or identifiable person eighteen years of age or older or an image displaying sexual acts of an identified or identifiable person:
(I) With the intent to obtain a pecuniary benefit from any person as a result of the posting, viewing, or removal of the private image; and
(II)
(A) When the actor has not obtained the depicted person’s consent; or
(B) When the actor knew or should have known that the depicted person had a reasonable expectation that the image would remain private.
(b) Posting a private image for pecuniary gain is a class 1 misdemeanor.
(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 18-1.3-501 (1)(a), in addition to any other sentence the court may impose, the court shall fine the defendant up to ten thousand dollars. The fines collected pursuant to this paragraph (c) shall be credited to the crime victim compensation fund created in section 24-4.1-117, C.R.S.
(2) Repealed.
(3) Nothing in this section precludes punishment under any section of law providing for greater punishment.
(4)
(a) Repealed.
(b) An individual whose private intimate parts have been posted or an individual who has had an image displaying sexual acts of the individual posted in accordance with this section shall retain a protectable right of authorship regarding the commercial use of the private image.
(5) Nothing in this section shall be construed to impose liability on the provider of an interactive computer service, as defined in 47 U.S.C. sec. 230 (f)(2), an information service, as defined in 47 U.S.C. sec. 153, or a telecommunications service, as defined in 47 U.S.C. sec. 153, for content provided by another person.
(6) For purposes of this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
(a) “Displaying sexual acts” means any display of sexual acts even if the private intimate parts are not visible in the image.
(b) “Image” means a photograph, film, videotape, recording, digital file, or other reproduction.
(c) “Private intimate parts” means external genitalia or the perineum or the anus or the pubes of any person or the breast of a female.
(d) “Sexual acts” means sexual intrusion or sexual penetration as defined by section 18-3-401.
(e) “Social media” means any electronic medium, including an interactive computer service, telephone network, or data network, that allows users to create, share, and view user-generated content, including but not limited to videos, still photographs, blogs, video blogs, podcasts, instant messages, electronic mail, or internet website profiles.

(1) A juvenile commits the offense of posting a private image by a juvenile if he or she, through digital or electronic means:
(a) Knowingly distributes, displays, or publishes to the view of another person a sexually explicit image of a person other than himself or herself who is at least fourteen years of age or is less than four years younger than the juvenile:
(I) Without the depicted person’s permission; or
(II) When the recipient did not solicit or request to be supplied with the image and suffered emotional distress; or
(III) When the juvenile knew or should have known that the depicted person had a reasonable expectation that the image would remain private; or
(b) Knowingly distributes, displays, or publishes, to the view of another person who is at least fourteen years of age or is less than four years younger than the juvenile, a sexually explicit image of himself or herself when the recipient did not solicit or request to be supplied with the image and suffered emotional distress.
(2) A juvenile commits the offense of possessing a private image by a juvenile if he or she, through digital or electronic means, knowingly possesses a sexually explicit image of another person who is at least fourteen years of age or is less than four years younger than the juvenile without the depicted person’s permission; except that it is not a violation of this subsection (2) if the juvenile:
(a) Took reasonable steps to either destroy or delete the image within seventy-two hours after initially viewing the image; or
(b) Reported the initial viewing of such image to law enforcement or a school resource officer within seventy-two hours after initially viewing the image.
(3) A juvenile commits the civil infraction of exchange of a private image by a juvenile if he or she, through digital or electronic means:
(a) Knowingly sends a sexually explicit image or images of himself or herself to another person who is at least fourteen years of age or is less than four years younger than the juvenile, and the image or images depict only the sender and no other person and the sender reasonably believed that the recipient had solicited or otherwise agreed to the transmittal of the image or images; or
(b) Knowingly possesses a sexually explicit image or images of another person who is at least fourteen years of age or is less than four years younger than the juvenile, and the image or images depict only the sender and no other person and the juvenile reasonably believed that the depicted person had transmitted the image or images or otherwise agreed to the transmittal of the image or images.
(4) It is an affirmative defense to subsection (1), (2), or (3) of this section if a juvenile is coerced, threatened, or intimidated into distributing, displaying, publishing, possessing, or exchanging a sexually explicit image of a person under eighteen years of age.
(5)
(a) Posting a private image by a juvenile is a class 2 misdemeanor; except that it is a class 1 misdemeanor if:
(I) The juvenile committed the offense with the intent to coerce, intimidate, threaten, or otherwise cause emotional distress to the depicted person; or
(II) The juvenile had previously posted a private image and completed a diversion program or education program for the act pursuant to the provisions of this section or had a prior adjudication for posting a private image by a juvenile; or
(III) The juvenile distributed, displayed, or published three or more images that depicted three or more separate and distinct persons.
(b) Possessing a private image by a juvenile is a petty offense; except that it is a class 2 misdemeanor if the unsolicited possessor of the image possessed ten or more separate images that depicted three or more separate and distinct persons.
(c) Exchange of a private image by a juvenile is a civil infraction and is punishable by participation in a program designed by the school safety resource center or other appropriate program addressing the risks and consequences of exchanging a sexually explicit image of a juvenile or a fine of up to fifty dollars, which may be waived by the court upon a showing of indigency. If the juvenile fails to appear in response to a civil infraction citation or fails to complete the required class or pay the imposed fee, the court may issue an order to show cause requiring the juvenile’s appearance in court and impose additional age-appropriate penalties. The court shall not issue a warrant for the arrest of the juvenile or impose incarceration as a penalty.
(d) In addition to any other sentence the court may impose for a violation of subsection (1) of this section, the court shall order the juvenile be assessed for suitability to participate in restorative justice practices, if available, and, upon a determination of suitability, the court shall inform the victim about the possibility of restorative justice practices as defined in section 18-1-901 (3)(o.5). The court shall not consider the victim’s unwillingness to participate in restorative justice practices when determining other sentencing options.
(e) Each district attorney is encouraged to develop a diversion program for juveniles who violate the provisions of this section and offer the program to a juvenile who is alleged to have violated this section for the first time. If the jurisdiction does not have a diversion program, the district attorney is encouraged to provide alternative programming designed to allow the juvenile to avoid any adjudication.
(6) The court shall order all records in a juvenile delinquency case in the custody of the court, and any records related to the case and charges in the custody of any other agency, person, company, or organization, that are related to an offense pursuant to this section expunged within forty-two days after the completion of the sentence or other alternative program.
(7) A person who is a victim of a violation of subsection (1), (2), or (3) of this section is eligible for compensation and services pursuant to part 1 of article 4.1 of title 24.
(8) As used in this section:
(a) “Juvenile” means a person under eighteen years of age.
(b) “Sexually explicit image” means any electronic or digital photograph, video, or video depiction of the external genitalia or perineum or anus or buttocks or pubes of any person or the breast of a female person.