Last week, in State v. Isaac, the Iowa Supreme Court reversed a man's conviction for indecent exposure. Iowa indecent exposure laws prevents people from performing sex acts in front of third parties that the performers know are offensive to the viewer. Stay up-to-date with how the law affects your life. It is also illegal to encourage another person to expose their genitals. The minimum punishments stipulated under Iowa law are notoriously harsh, with custodial sentences as follows: Class C or mild felonies maximum ten years penal servitude. A person who exposes the person s genitals or pubes to another not the person s spouse, or who commits a sex act in the presence of or view of a third person, commits a serious misdemeanor, if: 1. Taking indecent liberties with a child: Class 5 felony, Taking indecent liberties with a child, second or subsequent conviction: Class 4 felony, Up to 1 year and up to $2,500 fine for a Class 1 misdemeanor, Up to 5 years imprisonment and up to $2,500 fine for a Class 6 felony, Up to 10 years imprisonment and up to $2,500 fine for a Class 5 felony, Up to 10 years imprisonment and up to $100,000 fine for a Class 4 felony, Indecent exposure to a person under the age of 14: Gross misdemeanor, Indecent exposure with a prior conviction for indecent exposure or a sex offense: Class C felony, Up to 90 days imprisonment and up to $1,000 fine, Up to 1 year imprisonment and up to $5,000 fine if exposure is to a person under 14, Up to 5 years imprisonment and up to $10,000 fine if the offender has a prior conviction for indecent exposure or a sex offense, Up to 12 months imprisonment and up to $500 fine if the exposure was done for the purpose of sexual gratification, 30 days to 12 months imprisonment and up to $1,000 fine for a second conviction, 1 to 5 years and up to $3,000 fine for a third or subsequent conviction, Committing an indecent act of sexual gratification with another with knowledge that they are in the presence of others, Publicly and indecently exposes genitals or pubic area, Complex criminal defense situations usually require a lawyer, Defense attorneys can help protect your rights, A lawyer can seek to reduce or eliminate criminal penalties. Find an experienced criminal defense attorney in your area today. Web1 SEXUAL ABUSE, 709.9 709.9 Indecentexposuremasturbation. in a place where another person has a reasonable expectation of privacy; the offender is in view of the other person; the exposure reasonably would be expected to alarm or annoy the other person; and. The old statute forbade "open and Indecent or Obscene exposure" but did not define any of these terms, leading to the usual perils of vague criminal laws: lack of fair notice to citizens and the risk of arbitrary enforcement. Indecency with a child includes exposing one's anus or any part of the genitals, knowing a child under 17 is present, with the intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person. 2023 Legalopedia. Public urination is not considered indecent exposure unless it is done for the sexual stimulation of the viewer. He contends 1) there is insufficient evidence to support his conviction of indecent exposure, 2) the jury improperly considered his failure to testify, and 3) his trial counsel was ineffective indecent woods It is illegal for a person, in public to do any of the following: Up to 90 days imprisonment, up to a $500 fine, Florida has two separate laws prohibiting the exposure of private parts: Unlawful exposure of sexual organs and lewd or lascivious exhibition in the presence of a person less than 16 years of age. Visit our attorney directory to find a lawyer near you who can help. Indecent exposure involving a child occurs when a person eighteen years of age or older, with the intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person, intentionally exposes their genitals to a child thirteen years of age or younger. when the offender has another public lewdness conviction within the previous year. Search, Browse Law Any sexually motivated indictable assault committed against a minor. A 47-year-old Meyersdale man was sentenced to 21 months to 60 months in state prison for indecent exposure, a first-degree misdemeanor, in Somerset County Court of Common Pleas. The opinion reads as an almost textbook example of textualism--a method of statutory interpretation that focuses on a statute's text, rather than seeking to discern the collective intent of its drafters. Trial to the jury commenced on July 13, 2009. It is indecent exposure to knowingly or purposely expose one's genitals or intimate parts by any means, including electronic communication, under circumstances in which the offender knows the conduct is likely to cause affront or alarm in order to: Nebraska's prohibition against indecent exposure is found in its public indecency statute. To make things even worse, if the viewer of this breakfast surprise is someone other than the nudist's spouse, this attention can quickly lead to a handful of crimes. Nonetheless, legislation is purposive activity, and so, Breyer and others say, judges should strive to give effect to the purpose at which the law aims. Indecent exposure, S.D. Firms, S.D. Indecent exposure is a crime of the fourth degree if the offender exposes their intimate parts for the purpose of arousing or gratifying the sexual desire of themself or another person under circumstances where the offender knows or reasonably expects to be observed by a child who is less than 13 years of age or a person with a mental disability. The Model Penal Code statute does not require that the exposure be "to another," thus making it possible to find guilt under the Model Penal Code for a case of exposure to one person and gratification via another. In general, if a person exposes their genitals or other private parts for sexual gratification or with the knowledge that others will be offended, they will be guilty of a crime. If someone has an accidental wardrobe malfunction, it is not indecent exposure because there is no intent. How Iowa Might Treat this Differently Than Other States. Justice Streit also appeared to endorse an alternative theory, however: that someone could be guilty of a Section 709.9 violation if the exposure and gratification occur via two or more distinct victims--the victim of the exposure (here, the officer) and the object of the gratification (here, either or both of the two women). Indecent exposure. Oregon has two statutes outlawing indecent exposure: Public indecency and private indecency. In New Jersey, indecent exposure is called. The exposure also must be for sexual arousal or gratification. Sexually motivated harassment. The ordinance would regulate indecent exposure for body parts not covered under current state law, which generally pertain to pubic and genital areas. A person who exposes the person's genitals or pubes to another not the person's spouse, or who commits a sex act in the It is illegal to expose one's genitals in a public place or any place where other people are present under circumstances in which the offender knows or should know the conduct is likely to offend, affront, or alarm. WebDefendant, Clark Allen Blair, appeals from his conviction of indecent exposure, in violation of Iowa Code section 709.9 (2009). (a)(1) A person commits indecent exposure if, with purpose to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of himself or of any other person, he exposes his sex organs: That suggestion accepted for purposes of argument the majority's theory that to violate Section 709.9, the defendant must seek sexual arousal or gratification from the fact that he has exposed himself to the person who actually observes him. In Alaska, indecent exposure means purposely exposing one's genitals with reckless disregard of the offensiveness of the act. Included in that list is exposure of one's private parts in public with a sexual intent. The case was controversial due to the fact that Johnson had no prior criminal record and was clearly suffering from mental illness. For example, Iowa statutes require that a person must expose their genitals in public before they can be found guilty of indecent exposure, while other states may not have such a requirement. A public place" includes any place that reasonably may be expected to be viewed by others. The crime of public indecency is committing any of the following acts in a public place: Hawaii's indecent exposure statute is simple. The textualist position in the Isaac case was decidedly pro-defendant, and, as some Supreme Court cases also illustrate, that will often be true in criminal cases. 491, 541 (197980)), the State needed to produce a victim who saw Isaacs exposed genitals. A person Last update: Mon Jan 22 17:13:42 CST 2001 Indecency with a child: Felony of the third degree, Up to 180 days imprisonment and up to $2,000 fine, 2 to 10 years imprisonment and up to $10,000 fine for indecency with a child, Exposing the offender's genitals, the female breast below the top of the areola, the buttocks, the anus, or the pubic area, Exposing the offender's genitals, the female breast below the top of the areola, the buttocks, the anus, or the pubic area in a public place or in a private place under circumstances the person should know will likely cause affront or alarm or with the intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of the actor or the child, Causing a child under the age of 14 years to expose his or her genitals, anus, or breast, if female, to the actor, with the intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of the actor or the child, Lewdness involving a child: Class A misdemeanor, Lewdness, if the person committing the offense is a sex offender or has two prior convictions for lewdness: Third degree felony, Lewdness involving a child, if the person committing the offense is a sex offender or has a prior conviction for lewdness involving a child: Third degree felony, Up to 6 months imprisonment and up to $1,000 fine for a Class B misdemeanor, Up to 5 years imprisonment and up to $5,000 fine for a third degree felony, Engaging in open and gross lewdness and lascivious behavior, Willfully and lewdly committing any lewd or lascivious act upon or with the body, or any part or member thereof, of a child under the age of 16 years, with the intent of arousing, appealing to, or gratifying the lust, passions, or sexual desires of the offender or the child, Lewd and lascivious conduct with a child: Felony, Up to 1 year imprisonment and up to $300 fine for open lewdness, Up to 2 years imprisonment and up to $1,000 fine for open lewdness, second or subsequent conviction, Up to 5 years imprisonment and up to a $300 fine for open lewd and lascivious conduct, 2 to 15 years imprisonment and up to a $5,000 fine for lewd and lascivious conduct with a child, 5 years to life imprisonment and up to a $25,000 fine for lewd and lascivious conduct with a child, second offense, 10 years to life imprisonment and up to a $25,000 fine for lewd and lascivious conduct with a child, third offense, Indecent exposure: Intentionally making an obscene display or exposure of one's person or the private parts in any public place or place where others are present, or procuring another to so expose themselves. person's spouse, or who commits a sex act in the presence of or view of a third Both offenses carry the potential for imprisonment. Public indecency is performing any of the following acts in a public place or where the conduct may reasonably be expected to be viewed by members of the public: Connecticut prohibits public indecency, which includes exposing the body in a public place for sexual gratification or arousal. If an adult exposes genitals, buttocks, or female breast to a child under 13 in a private residence, then the penalties are more severe. Sexually motivated pimping against a minor or involving a minor. A person commits the crime of indecent exposure when they do either of the following acts: In Kansas, indecent exposure is one of two crimes listed in the lewd and lascivious behavior statute. Many Iowa attorneys offer free consultations. Consider two general lessons. A person convicted of this crime can be fined several hundred dollars, may spend time in prison, and must register as a sex offender. All rights reserved. A person who exposes the persons genitals or pubes to another not the persons spouse, or who commits a sex act in the presence of or view of a third person, commits a serious misdemeanor, if: 1. The Court concluded that if the Iowa Legislature had intended electronic images to fall under the indecent exposure statute, it would have said so. New Hampshire's indecent exposure and lewdness law has two levels of severity. Indecent exposure is the exposure of one's genitals with the intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person in a public place, or in the view of a public place, under circumstances in which the offender knows the conduct is likely to annoy, offend, or alarm another person. Indecent exposure is prohibited under Wisconsin's lewd and lascivious behavior statute. WebThe crime of indecent exposure is a serious misdemeanor in Iowa. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, There is a newer version of the Iowa Code, SUBTITLE 1 CRIME CONTROL AND CRIMINAL ACTS. webmaster@legis.iowa.gov. @~ (* {d+}G}WL$cGD2QZ4 E@@ A(q`1D `'u46ptc48.`R0) Additionally, an individual may be required to register as a sex offender and may be subject to restrictions such as no:contact orders and monitoring. Why doesn't their very disagreement establish the law's ambiguity? You're all set! The severity of the penalty depends on the number of convictions the offender has or the location of the offense. A serious misdemeanor may be punished by up to one year in prison and a fine from $315 to $1,875. If something needs correcting or you have any suggestions, just let us know. A person who exposes the person s genitals or pubes to another not the person s spouse, or who commits a sex act Michigan has two separate exposure crimes: Indecent exposure and aggravated indecent exposure. For example, the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist was quite conservative politically, but also quite traditional in his willingness to rely on non-textual evidence of legislative purpose. And if you have been arrested for indecent exposure, find a lawyer to defend you from these consequences. Exposure of genitals that likely will cause affront or alarm is a misdemeanor. The public indecency law prohibits sexual acts in public, including exposing one's genitals for sexual gratification. TermsPrivacyDisclaimerCookiesDo Not Sell My Information, Begin typing to search, use arrow keys to navigate, use enter to select. Additionally, any contact that is made during the incident may result in additional charges such as sexual abuse and/or assault. Under North Carolina's indecent exposure law, it is prohibited to willfully expose private parts under any of the following circumstances: To be convicted of indecent exposure in North Dakota, a person must act with an intent to arouse, appeal to, or gratify their own lust, passions, or sexual desires while exposing their private parts. The penalties for indecent exposure are higher if the exposure was done for the purpose of sexual gratification. Indecent exposure in the second degree is exposing any of the following body parts under circumstances one knows will likely cause affront or alarm to another: The District of Columbia prohibits the indecent exposure of private parts in a public place.

Aggravating factors can raise the possible charges and penalties associated with indecent exposure. Michael C. Dorf is the Robert S. Stevens Professor of Law at Cornell University. Montana's indecent exposure law requires that the offender act with the intent to harass another person or to sexually gratify themself or another person. stream Rather, the facts suggest that Isaac simply did not have time to, or did not care to, cover himself in the officer's presence. Sounding a distinctly purposivist note, Justice Streit stated that "Isaac's conduct is the type of behavior the legislature intended to outlaw with section 709.9. Learn more about FindLaws newsletters, including our terms of use and privacy policy. It is illegal to willfully, knowingly, and lewdly expose one's person or genitals in any public place, or in any place where there are present other persons to be offended or annoyed. Be punished by up to one year in prison and a fine from $ 315 $. 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