SB 27 West Virginia Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Clarifying felony of exhibiting obscene matter to minor

SB 27 clarifies that distributing or displaying sexually explicit material to a minor with the purpose of seducing them becomes a felony. It specifically expands the law to cover "any depiction of sexually graphic material" used for seduction, not just prior definitions of "obscene matter." Adults who knowingly distribute such material to minors for seduction face fines up to $25,000 or up to five years in prison for a first offense, with higher penalties for repeat violations. This directly affects adults distributing explicit material to minors, while maintaining existing defenses like physical barriers, age verification, or parental supervision in permitted settings.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Feb 12, 2025 Last action Feb 12, 2025
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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
3
Key actions
0
Committee
1
Feb 12, 2025
Introduced
Introduced in Senate
upper
Feb 12, 2025
Committee
To Judiciary
upper
1 primary · 1 co-sponsor

Sponsors