United States Postal Inspection Service Child Pornography

Title 18, United States Code

Section 2251. Sexual exploitation of children

(a) Any person who employs, uses, persuades, induces, entices, or coerces any minor to engage in, or who has a minor assist any other person to engage in, or who transports any minor in interstate or foreign commerce, or in any territory or possession of the United States, with the intent that such minor engage in any sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing any visual depiction of such conduct shall be punished as provided under subsection (d), if such person knows or has reason if that visual depiction was produced using materials that were mailed, shipped, or transported in interstate or foreign commerce by any means, including by computer, or if such visual depiction has actually been transported in interstate or foreign commerce or mailed.

(b) Any parent, legal guardian, or person having custody or control of a minor who knowingly permits such minor to engage in, or to assist any other person to engage in, sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing any visual depiction of such conduct shall be punished as provided under subsection (d) of this section if such parent, legal guardian, or person knows or has reason to know that such visual depiction will be transported in interstate or foreign commerce or mailed, if that visual depiction was produced using materials that were mailed, shipped, or transported in interstate or foreign commerce by any means, including by computer, or if such visual depiction has actually been transported in interstate or foreign commerce or mailed.

(c)

(1) Any person who, in a circumstance described in paragraph (2) knowingly makes, prints, or publishes, or causes to be made, printed, or published, any notice or advertisement seeking or offering --

(A) to receive, exchange, buy, produce, display, distribute, or reproduce any visual depiction if the production of such visual depiction involves the use of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct and such visual depiction is of such conduct; or

(B) participation in any act of sexually explicit conduct by or with any minor for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct shall be punished as provided under subsection (d).

(2) The circumstance referred to in paragraph (1) is that --

(A) such person knows or has reason to know that such notice or advertisement will be transported in interstate or foreign commerce by any means, including by computer or mail; or

(B) such notice or advertisement is transported in interstate or foreign commerce by any means, including by computer or mail.

(d) Any individual who violates, or attempts or conspires to violate this section shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not less than 10 years nor more than 20 years, or both, but if such a person has one prior conviction under this chapter, chapter 109A, or chapter 117 [18 U.S.C. Section 2251 et seq., 2241 et seq., or 2421 et seq.], or under the laws of any state relating to the sexual exploitation of children, such person shall be fined under this title and imprisoned for not less than 15 years nor more than 30 years, but if such person has two or more prior convictions under this chapter, chapter 109A, or chapter 117 [18 U.S.C. Section 2251 et seq., 2241 et seq., or 2421 et seq.], or under the laws of any state relating to the sexual exploitation of children, such person shall be fined under this title and imprisoned not less than 30 years nor more than life. Any organization that violates, or attempts or conspires to violate this section shall be fined under this title. Whoever, in the course of an offense under this section, engages in conduct that results in the death of a person shall be punished by death or imprisoned for any term of years or for life.

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