Source: indianacapitalchronicle.com 3/20/25
Rep. Chris Jeter declined to say whether his amendment was aimed at drag queen story times.
Indiana lawmakers on Wednesday chose not to strip key provisions from legislation tightening handling of child sex abuse materials — yet — but did add a ban on any government-funded “obscene performance.”
The House Committee on Courts and Criminal Code also moved a proposal allowing unelected officials convicted of official misconduct a path toward expungement.
Senate Bill 326’s original purpose was replacing use of the phrase “child pornography” throughout Indiana Code with “child sex abuse material.”
“Whether you believe it’s right or wrong, (pornography) is legal. It exists in our society. That’s not what these images are,” said Courtney Curtis, of the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council. “In these images, these children are being molested. They are being sexually abused. We should call it that.”
I never did understand the Child Sex Abuse Material term. Is the “sex abuse” also perpetrated by children? Because most material nowadays come from children on webcams masturbating or posing in sexually provocative positions. Just because pornography is a genre that includes both child & adult, doesn’t minimize its effects on children. In fact, being caught with “child pornography” sounds more onerous than being caught with CSAM. It’s like haggling over the terms prescription drugs & street drugs. Just because one is legal, doesn’t take away from the seriousness of the other