King Provides Testimony on Indecent Exposure Act

COLUMBUS – State Representative Angie King (R-Celina) provided testimony recently to the House Judiciary Committee about her legislation to update Ohio’s obscenity laws and protect children and families from sexualized performances taking place in public spaces.

A reintroduction of House Bill 245 from the previous General Assembly, the Indecent Exposure Act will protect children from being exposed to obscene or sexualized performances in public spaces with newly added language to narrow the focus of the legislation and achieve the goal of protecting children. The bill has forty-two cosponsors.

The Indecent Exposure Act will make two changes to public indecency law. First, it will change the term ‘private parts’, which is undefined in Ohio law, to ‘private area’, which has a clear definition. Second, the legislation will create an exemption to the offense of public indecency for breastfeeding women.

“House Bill 249 has one purpose, to protect Ohio children,” said King. “I want to live up to the words, ‘Ohio is a great place to raise a family.’ This is an important piece of legislation that will give Ohio families a safe place within their communities where they can take their children without fear of their children being exposed to explicit material and performances, they’re not yet mature enough to understand.”

The Indecent Exposure Act also establishes penalties for the violations that vary from a misdemeanor to a fourth-degree felony based on the circumstance in which the crime occurs.

House Bill 249 awaits additional hearings in the House Judiciary Committee.

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For more information, Representative King’s office at rep84@ohiohouse.gov