OHIO

OHIO REVISED CODE
§ 2907.09  Public Indecency.

(A)  No person shall recklessly do any of the following, under circumstances in which the person's conduct is likely to be viewed by and affront others who are in the person's physical proximity and who are not members of the person's household:

(1) Expose his or her private parts;

(2) Engage in sexual conduct or masturbation;

(3) Engage in conduct that to an ordinary observer would appear to be sexual conduct or masturbation.

(B)  No person shall knowingly do any of the following, under circumstances in which the person's conduct is likely to be viewed by and affront another person who is a minor, who is not the spouse of the offender, and who resides in the person's household:

(1) Engage in masturbation;

(2) Engage in sexual conduct;

(3) Engage in conduct that to an ordinary observer would appear to be sexual conduct or masturbation;

(4) Expose the person's private parts with the purpose of personal sexual arousal or gratification or to lure the minor into sexual activity.

(C) (1)  Whoever violates this section is guilty of public indecency and shall be punished as provided in divisions (C)(2), (3), (4), and (5) of this section.

(2) Except as otherwise provided in division (C)(2) of this section, a violation of division (A)(1) of this section is a misdemeanor of the fourth degree. If the offender previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to one violation of this section, a violation of division (A)(1) of this section is a misdemeanor of the third degree. If the offender previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to two violations of this section, a violation of division (A)(1) of this section is a misdemeanor of the second degree. If the offender previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to three or more violations of this section, a violation of division (A)(1) of this section is a misdemeanor of the first degree.

(3) Except as otherwise provided in division (C)(3) of this section, a violation of division (A)(2) or (3) of this section is a misdemeanor of the third degree. If the offender previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to one violation of this section, a violation of division (A)(2) or (3) of this section is a misdemeanor of the second degree. If the offender previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to two or more violations of this section, a violation of division (A)(2) or (3) of this section is a misdemeanor of the first degree.

(4) Except as otherwise provided in division (C)(4) of this section, a violation of division (B)(1), (2), or (3) of this section is a misdemeanor of the second degree. If the offender previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to any violation of this section, a violation of division (B)(1), (2), or (3) of this section is a misdemeanor of the first degree.

(5) A violation of division (B)(4) of this section is a misdemeanor of the first degree.

HISTORY: 134 v H 511 (Eff 1-1-74); 143 v H 214 (Eff 4-13-90); 146 v S 2. Eff 7-1-96; 151 v H 50, § 1, eff. 9-26-05.

Not analogous to former RC § 2907.09 (RS § 6835; 69 v 10; 82 v 161; 95 v 561; 96 v 14; 98 v 3; GC § 12437; 100 v 5; 101 v 128; Bureau of Code Revision, 10-1-53; 129 v 1426), repealed 134 v H 511, § 2, eff 1-1-74.

The effective date is set by section 6 of SB 2.

Effect of Amendments
151 v H 50, effective September 26, 2005, rewrote the section.

19xx Committee Report or Comment.
1974 Committee Comment to H 511
The gist of this section is to prohibit sexual exposures or actual or simulated sexual displays, when done under circumstances in which such exposures or displays are likely to be seen by and offend persons not members of the offender's household.

Nudist camps would not be prohibited under this section if the inmates take reasonable precautions to insure their privacy, since their lack of clothing is not likely to offend each other. Answering an urgent call of nature alfresco would not be an offense if the actor takes reasonable precautions against discovery, although if he or she is imprudent in choosing a site the act might constitute disorderly conduct under new section 2917.11(A)(5).

Public indecency is a misdemeanor of the fourth degree. 

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§ 2919.22 Endangering children.

 (A) No person, who is the parent, guardian, custodian, person having custody or control, or person in loco parentis of a child under eighteen years of age or a mentally or physically handicapped child under twenty-one years of age, shall create a substantial risk to the health or safety of the child, by violating a duty of care, protection, or support. It is not a violation of a duty of care, protection, or support under this division when the parent, guardian, custodian, or person having custody or control of a child treats the physical or mental illness or defect of the child by spiritual means through prayer alone, in accordance with the tenets of a recognized religious body.
 
 (B) No person shall do any of the following to a child under eighteen years of age or a mentally or physically handicapped child under twenty-one years of age:

 (1) Abuse the child;
 
 (2) Torture or cruelly abuse the child;
 
 (3) Administer corporal punishment or other physical disciplinary measure, or physically restrain the child in a cruel manner or for a prolonged period, which punishment, discipline, or restraint is excessive under the circumstances and creates a substantial risk of serious physical harm to the child;
 
 (4) Repeatedly administer unwarranted disciplinary measures to the child, when there is a substantial risk that such conduct, if continued, will seriously impair or retard the child's mental health or development;
 
 (5) Entice, coerce, permit, encourage, compel, hire, employ, use, or allow the child to act, model, or in any other way participate in, or be photographed for, the production, presentation, dissemination, or advertisement of any material or performance that he knows or reasonably should know is obscene, is sexually oriented matter, or is nudity-oriented matter;

. . .

 (D)(1) Division (B)(5) of this section does not apply to any material or performance that is produced, presented, or disseminated for a bona fide medical, scientific, educational, religious, governmental, judicial, or other proper purpose, by or to a physician, psychologist, sociologist, scientist, teacher, person pursuing bona fide studies or research, librarian, clergyman, prosecutor, judge, or other person having a proper interest in the material or performance.
 
 (2) Mistake of age is not a defense to a charge under division (B)(5) or (6) of this section.
 
 (3) In a prosecution under division (B)(5) of this section, the trier of fact may infer that an actor, model, or participant in the material or performance involved is a juvenile if the material or performance, through its title, text, visual representation, or otherwise, represents or depicts the actor, model, or participant as a juvenile.
 
 (4) As used in this division and division (B)(5) of this section:

 (a) "Material," "performance," "obscene," and "sexual activity" have the same meanings as in section 2907.01 of the Revised Code.
  
 (b) "Nudity-oriented matter" means any material or performance that shows a minor in a state of nudity and that, taken as a whole by the average person applying contemporary community standards, appeals to prurient interest.

 (c) "Sexually oriented matter" means any material or performance that shows a minor participating or engaging in sexual activity, masturbation, or bestiality.

 (E)(1) Whoever violates this section is guilty of endangering children.
 
 (2) If the offender violates division (A) or (B)(1) of this section, endangering children is a misdemeanor of the first degree, except that if the violation results in serious physical harm to the child involved, or if the offender previously has been convicted of an offense under this section or of any offense involving neglect, abandonment, contributing to the delinquency of, or physical abuse of a child, endangering children is a felony of the fourth degree.
 
 (3) If the offender violates division (B)(2), (3), or (4) of this section, endangering children is a felony of the third degree, except that if the violation results in serious physical harm to the child involved, or if the offender has previously been convicted of an offense under this section or of any offense involving neglect, abandonment, contributing to the delinquency of, or physical abuse of a child, endangering children is a felony of the second degree.
 
 (4) If the offender violates division (B)(5) or (6) of this section, endangering children is a felony of the second degree.

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"Rule 52"
OHIO ADMINISTRATIVE CODE
Section 4301:1-1-52 Entertainment - prohibition against improper conduct.

     (A) Definitions as used in this rule:

     (1) "Lewd activities" are those activities (including those which are electronically reproduced) that contain lustful, lascivious or lecherous behavior and includes, but is not limited to acts of, or acts that simulate, sexual intercourse, masturbation, sodomy, bestiality, or oral copulation.

     (2) "Disorderly activities" are those that harass, threaten or physically harm another person including threats or other menacing behavior, fighting, assaults and brawls.

     (3) "Nudity" is the showing (including electronically showing) of the human male or female genitals, pubic area or buttocks (or anus) with less than a fully opaque covering, the showing of the female breast with less than a fully opaque covering of any part of the nipple and/or areola, or the showing of the covered male genitals in a discernibly turgid state.

     (B) Prohibited activities: no permit holder, his agent, or employee shall knowingly or willfully allow in and upon his licensed permit premises any persons to:

     (1) Engage in any lewd or disorderly activities;

     (2) Appear in a state of nudity;

     (3) Touch, fondle, or caress the genitals, pubic area, buttocks, or female breasts of any person;

     (4) Allow in, upon or about the licensed permit premises, or engage in or facilitate in, the possession, use, manufacture, transfer, or sale of any dangerous drug, controlled substance, narcotic, harmful intoxicant, counterfeit controlled substance, drug, drug paraphernalia, or drug abuse instrument as said terms are defined in ORC Chapter 2925.

     (5) Solicit for value, or possess, buy, sell, use, alter or transfer, or allow to be solicited, possessed, bought, sold, used, altered, or transferred for value USDA food stamp coupons, WIC program benefit vouchers, or other electronically transmitted benefits, in a manner not specifically authorized by the Food Stamp Act of 1977, or the Child Nutrition Act of 1966. A conviction or consent decree against the permit holder, its agent or employee for a violation of any of such acts constitutes evidence of a violation of this rule.

     (6) Obtain or exert control over property or services of another, with purpose to deprive the owner therefor, without the consent of the owner or person authorized to consent, or by deception, fraud or threat. Nor shall any permit holder, his agent, or employee, use the licensed permit premises to receive, retain, or dispose of property of another, knowing or having reasonable cause to believe such property has been obtained through the commission of a theft offense.

     (7) Commit improper conduct of any kind, type, or character that would offend the public's sense of decency, sobriety or good order.

HISTORY: Eff 5-5-66; 12-10-98
Rule promulgated under: RC 119.03
Rule authorized by: RC 4301.03
Rule amplifies: RC 4301.03(B)

Replaces: former 4301:1-1-52

119.032 Review Date: 12-10-03

 

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