South Carolina § 16-15-385 - Disseminating harmful material to minors and exhibiting harmful performance to minor defined; defenses; penalties.

§ 16-15-385. Disseminating harmful material to minors and exhibiting harmful performance to minor defined; defenses; penalties.

(A) A person commits the offense of disseminating harmful material to minors if, knowing the character or content of the material, he:

(1) sells, furnishes, presents, or distributes to a minor material that is harmful to minors; or

(2) allows a minor to review or peruse material that is harmful to minors.

A person does not commit an offense under this subsection when he employs a minor to work in a theater if the minor's parent or guardian consents to the employment and if the minor is not allowed in the viewing area when material harmful to minors is shown.

(B) A person commits the offense of exhibiting a harmful performance to a minor if, with or without consideration and knowing the character or content of the performance, he allows a minor to view a live performance which is harmful to minors.

(C) Except as provided in item (3) of this subsection, mistake of age is not a defense to a prosecution under this section. It is an affirmative defense under this section that:

(1) the defendant was a parent or legal guardian of a minor, but this item does not apply when the parent or legal guardian exhibits or disseminates the harmful material for the sexual gratification of the parent, guardian, or minor.

(2) the defendant was a school, church, museum, public, school, college, or university library, government agency, medical clinic, or hospital carrying out its legitimate function, or an employee or agent of such an organization acting in that capacity and carrying out a legitimate duty of his employment.

(3) before disseminating or exhibiting the harmful material or performance, the defendant requested and received a driver's license, student identification card, or other official governmental or educational identification card or paper indicating that the minor to whom the material or performance was disseminated or exhibited was at least eighteen years old, and the defendant reasonably believed the minor was at least eighteen years old.

(D) A person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be imprisoned not more than ten years or fined not more than five thousand dollars, or both.

HISTORY: 1987 Act No. 168 SECTION 3; 1990 Act No. 358, SECTIONS 1, 2; 1993 Act No. 184, SECTION 34; 2004 Act No. 208, SECTION 7, eff April 26, 2004.