A bill for an act relating to sexual exploitation of a minor and deferred and suspended sentences.

This bill (SSB 3021) changes sentencing rules for certain sexual exploitation offenses involving minors. It prohibits judges from granting deferred or suspended sentences to individuals convicted under Iowa Code section 728.12 when the victim was under 12 years old or prepubescent at the time of the offense. The key mechanism adds specific language to sentencing statutes (Code 907.3) to block these sentencing options in the most severe cases involving very young children. This directly affects offenders convicted of violating section 728.12 with prepubescent or under-12 victims, requiring standard sentences instead of deferred/suspended terms.