In Colorado, there a few offenses that would fall under the umbrella of internet sex crimes. These internet sex crimes are internet sexual exploitation of a child, internet luring of a child, and sexual exploitation of a child.
All three internet sex crimes are serious offenses in Colorado that come with enormous consequences.
Internet Sexual Exploitation of a Child
A person commits internet sexual exploitation of a child if he or she intentionally invites or entices through communication via a computer, phone, text message or instant message, to a person the actor knows or believes to be under fifteen years of age and at least four years younger than the actor, to:
- Expose or touch the person’s own or another person’s intimate parts while communicating with the actor via a computer network or system, telephone network, or data network or by a text message or instant message; or
- Observe the actor’s intimate parts via a computer network or system, telephone network, or data network or by a text message or instant message.
Internet Luring of a Child
Luring a minor under fifteen years old through a computer network, phone, text message, or online messages using sexually explicit messages is prohibited by law. Internet luring of a child is a class 5 felony except that luring of a child is a class 4 felony if committed with the intent to meet for the purpose of engaging in sexual exploitation or sexual contact.
Sexual Exploitation of a Child
A person commits sexual exploitation of a child if, for any purpose, he or she knowingly: Causes, induces, entices, or permits a child to engage in, or be used for, any explicit sexual conduct for the making of any sexually exploitative material; or Prepares, arranges for, publishes including but not limited to publishing through digital or electronic means, produces, promotes, makes, sells, finances, offers, exhibits, advertises, deals in, or distributes, including but not limited to distributing through digital or electronic means, any sexually exploitative material; or Possesses or controls any sexually exploitative material for any purpose; or Possesses with the intent to deal in, sell, or distribute, including but not limited to distributing through digital or electronic means, any sexually exploitative material; or Causes, induces, entices, or permits a child to engage in, or be used for, any explicit sexual conduct for the purpose of producing a performance.
Penalties for Sexual Exploitation of a Child Sexual exploitation of a child by possession of sexually exploitative material is a class 6 felony; except that said offense is a class 4 felony if: It is a second or subsequent offense; or The possession is of a video, video tape, or motion picture or more than twenty different items qualifying as sexually exploitative material.
