Chapter 948

948.125 948.125 Possession of virtual child pornography.

948.125(1) (1) Definitions. In this section:

948.125(1)(a) (a) “Depiction of a purported child” means a visual representation that appears to depict an actual child but may or may not depict an actual child.

948.125(1)(b) (b) “Obscene material” means a photograph, film, motion picture, or digital or computer-generated image or picture, whether made or produced by electronic, mechanical, or other means, that satisfies all of the following:

948.125(1)(b)1. 1. The average person, applying contemporary community standards, would find appeals to the prurient interest if taken as a whole.

948.125(1)(b)2. 2. Under contemporary community standards, describes or shows sexually explicit conduct in a patently offensive way.

948.125(1)(b)3. 3. Lacks serious literary, artistic, political, educational, or scientific value, if taken as a whole.

948.125(2) (2) Possession and penalty. Whoever receives, distributes, produces, or possesses, or accesses in any way with the intent to view, obscene material that contains a depiction of a purported child engaging in sexually explicit conduct is guilty of the following if the person knows that he or she received, distributed, produced, possessed, or accessed the material and if the person knows, or reasonably should know, that the material contains a depiction of a purported child engaging in sexually explicit conduct:

948.125(2)(a) (a) Except as provided in par. (b), a Class D felony.

948.125(2)(b) (b) If the actor is under 18 years of age when the offense occurs, a Class I felony.

948.125 History History: 2023 a. 224.

948.13 948.13 Child sex offender working with children.

948.13(1) (1) In this section, “serious child sex offense” means any of the following:

948.13(1)(a) (a) A crime under s. 940.22 (2) or 940.225 (2) (c) or (cm), if the victim is under 18 years of age at the time of the offense, a crime under s. 940.302 (2) if s. 940.302 (2) (a) 1. b. applies, or a crime under s. 948.02 (1) or (2), 948.025 (1), 948.05 (1) or (1m), 948.051, 948.06, 948.07 (1), (2), (3), or (4), 948.075, or 948.085.

948.13(1)(b) (b) A crime under federal law or the law of any other state or, prior to May 7, 1996, under the law of this state that is comparable to a crime specified in par. (a).

948.13(2) (2) 

948.13(2)(a) (a) Except as provided in pars. (b) and (c), whoever has been convicted of a serious child sex offense and subsequently engages in an occupation or participates in a volunteer position that requires him or her to work or interact primarily and directly with children under 16 years of age is guilty of a Class F felony.

948.13(2)(b) (b) If all of the following apply, the prohibition under par. (a) does not apply to a person who has been convicted of a serious child sex offense until 90 days after the date on which the person receives actual written notice from a law enforcement agency, as defined in s. 165.77 (1) (b), of the prohibition under par. (a):

948.13(2)(b)1. 1. The only serious child sex offense for which the person has been convicted is a crime under s. 948.02 (2).

948.13(2)(b)2. 2. The person was convicted of the serious child sex offense before May 7, 2002.

948.13(2)(b)3. 3. The person is eligible to petition for an exemption from the prohibition under sub. (2m) because he or she meets the criteria specified in sub. (2m) (a) 1. and 1m.

948.13(2)(c) (c) The prohibition under par. (a) does not apply to a person who is exempt under a court order issued under sub. (2m).

948.13(2m) (2m) 

948.13(2m)(a) (a) A person who has been convicted of a crime under s. 948.02 (2), 948.025 (1), or 948.085 may petition the court in which he or she was convicted to order that the person be exempt from sub. (2) (a) and permitted to engage in an occupation or participate in a volunteer position that requires the person to work or interact primarily and directly with children under 16 years of age. The court may grant a petition filed under this paragraph if the court finds that all of the following apply:

948.13(2m)(a)1. 1. At the time of the commission of the crime under s. 948.02 (2), 948.025 (1), or 948.085 the person had not attained the age of 19 years and was not more than 4 years older or not more than 4 years younger than the child with whom the person had sexual contact or sexual intercourse.

948.13(2m)(a)1m. 1m. The child with whom the person had sexual contact or sexual intercourse had attained the age of 13 but had not attained the age of 16.

948.13(2m)(a)2. 2. It is not necessary, in the interest of public protection, to require the person to comply with sub. (2) (a).

948.13(2m)(b) (b) A person filing a petition under par. (a) shall send a copy of the petition to the district attorney who prosecuted the person. The district attorney shall make a reasonable attempt to contact the victim of the crime that is the subject of the person’s petition to inform the victim of his or her right to make or provide a statement under par. (d).

948.13(2m)(c) (c) A court may hold a hearing on a petition filed under par. (a) and the district attorney who prosecuted the person may appear at the hearing. Any hearing that a court decides to hold under this paragraph shall be held no later than 30 days after the petition is filed if the petition specifies that the person filing the petition is covered under sub. (2) (b), that he or she has received actual written notice from a law enforcement agency of the prohibition under sub. (2) (a), and that he or she is seeking an exemption under this subsection before the expiration of the 90-day period under sub. (2) (b).

948.13(2m)(d) (d) Before deciding a petition filed under par. (a), the court shall allow the victim of the crime that is the subject of the petition to make a statement in court at any hearing held on the petition or to submit a written statement to the court. A statement under this paragraph must be relevant to the issues specified in par. (a) 1., 1m. and 2.

948.13(2m)(e) (e)

948.13(2m)(e)1. 1. Before deciding a petition filed under par. (a), the court may request the person filing the petition to be examined by a physician, psychologist or other expert approved by the court. If the person refuses to undergo an examination requested by the court under this subdivision, the court shall deny the person’s petition without prejudice.

948.13(2m)(e)2. 2. If a person is examined by a physician, psychologist or other expert under subd. 1., the physician, psychologist or other expert shall file a report of his or her examination with the court, and the court shall provide copies of the report to the person and, if he or she requests a copy, to the district attorney. The contents of the report shall be confidential until the physician, psychologist or other expert has testified at a hearing held under par. (c). The report shall contain an opinion regarding whether it would be in the interest of public protection to require the person to comply with sub. (2) (a) and the basis for that opinion.

948.13(2m)(e)3. 3. A person who is examined by a physician, psychologist or other expert under subd. 1. is responsible for paying the cost of the services provided by the physician, psychologist or other expert, except that if the person is indigent the cost of the services provided by the physician, psychologist or other expert shall be paid by the county. If the person claims or appears to be indigent, the court shall refer the person to the authority for indigency determinations under s. 977.07 (1), except that the person shall be considered indigent without another determination under s. 977.07 (1) if the person is represented by the state public defender or by a private attorney appointed under s. 977.08.

948.13(2m)(em) (em) A court shall decide a petition no later than 45 days after the petition is filed if the petition specifies that the person filing the petition is covered under sub. (2) (b), that he or she has received actual written notice from a law enforcement agency of the prohibition under sub. (2) (a), and that he or she is seeking an exemption under this subsection before the expiration of the 90-day period under sub. (2) (b).

948.13(2m)(f) (f) The person who filed the petition under par. (a) has the burden of proving by clear and convincing evidence that he or she satisfies the criteria specified in par. (a) 1., 1m. and 2. In deciding whether the person has satisfied the criterion specified in par. (a) 2., the court may consider any of the following:

948.13(2m)(f)1. 1. The ages, at the time of the violation, of the person who filed the petition and the victim of the crime that is the subject of the petition.

948.13(2m)(f)2. 2. The relationship between the person who filed the petition and the victim of the crime that is the subject of the petition.

948.13(2m)(f)3. 3. Whether the crime that is the subject of the petition resulted in bodily harm to the victim.

948.13(2m)(f)4. 4. Whether the victim of the crime that is the subject of the petition suffered from a mental illness or mental deficiency that rendered him or her temporarily or permanently incapable of understanding or evaluating the consequences of his or her actions.

948.13(2m)(f)5. 5. The probability that the person who filed the petition will commit other serious child sex offenses in the future.

948.13(2m)(f)6. 6. The report of the examination conducted under par. (e).

948.13(2m)(f)7. 7. Any other factor that the court determines may be relevant to the particular case.

948.13(3) (3) Evidence that a person engages in an occupation or participates in a volunteer position relating to any of the following is prima facie evidence that the occupation or position requires him or her to work or interact primarily and directly with children under 16 years of age:

948.13(3)(a) (a) Teaching children.

948.13(3)(b) (b) Child care.

948.13(3)(c) (c) Youth counseling.

948.13(3)(d) (d) Youth organization.

948.13(3)(e) (e) Coaching children.

948.13(3)(f) (f) Parks or playground recreation.

948.13(3)(g) (g) School bus driving.

948.13 History History: 1995 a. 265; 1997 a. 130, 220; 1999 a. 3; 2001 a. 97, 109; 2003 a. 321; 2005 a. 277; 2007 a. 97, 116.

948.14 948.14 Registered sex offender and photographing minors.

948.14(1) (1) Definitions. In this section:

948.14(1)(a) (a) “Captures a representation” has the meaning given in s. 942.09 (1) (a).

948.14(1)(b) (b) “Minor” means an individual who is under 17 years of age.

948.14(1)(c) (c) “Representation” has the meaning giving in s. 942.09 (1) (c).

948.14(1)(d) (d) “Sex offender” means a person who is required to register under s. 301.45.

948.14(2) (2) Prohibition.

948.14(2)(a) (a) A sex offender may not intentionally capture a representation of any minor without the written consent of the minor’s parent, legal custodian, or guardian. The written consent required under this paragraph shall state that the person seeking the consent is required to register as a sex offender with the department of corrections.

948.14(2)(b) (b) Paragraph (a) does not apply to a sex offender who is capturing a representation of a minor if the sex offender is the minor’s parent, legal custodian, or guardian.

948.14(3) (3) Penalty. Whoever violates sub. (2) is guilty of a Class I felony.

948.14 Note NOTE: The Court of Appeals in State v. Oatman, 2015 WI App 76, concluded that this section is overbroad on its face and invalid in its entirety.

948.14 History History: 2005 a. 432.

948.14 Annotation The structure of s. 942.09, with its separate subdivisions for capturing and possessing a representation, and the legislature’s decision to import the definition of “captures a representation” from s. 942.09, along with legislative history indicating that the purpose of this section is to prohibit sex offenders from photographing, filming, or videotaping minors without parental consent, leads to the conclusion that “stores in any medium data that represents a visual image” as used in the definition of “captures a representation” in s. 942.09 does not include the mere possession of visual images. State v. Chagnon, 2015 WI App 66, 364 Wis. 2d 719, 870 N.W.2d 27, 14-2770.

948.20 948.20 Abandonment of a child. Whoever, with intent to abandon the child, leaves any child in a place where the child may suffer because of neglect is guilty of a Class G felony.

948.20 History History: 1977 c. 173; 1987 a. 332 s. 35; Stats. 1987 s. 948.20; 2001 a. 109.

948.21 948.21 Neglecting a child.

948.21(1) (1) Definitions. In this section:

948.21(1)(a) (a) “Child sex offense” means an offense under s. 948.02, 948.025, 948.05, 948.051, 948.055, 948.06, 948.07, 948.08, 948.10, 948.11, or 948.12.

948.21(1)(b) (b) “Emotional damage” has the meaning given in s. 48.02 (5j).

948.21(1)(c) (c) “Necessary care” means care that is vital to the needs of a child’s physical, emotional, or mental health based on all of the facts and circumstances bearing on the child’s need for care, including the child’s age; the child’s physical, mental, or emotional condition; and any special needs of the child.

948.21(1)(d) (d) “Negligently” means acting, or failing to act, in such a way that a reasonable person would know or should know seriously endangers the physical, mental, or emotional health of a child.

948.21(2) (2) Neglect. Any person who is responsible for a child’s welfare who, through his or her action or failure to take action, for reasons other than poverty, negligently fails to provide any of the following, so as to seriously endanger the physical, mental, or emotional health of the child, is guilty of neglect and may be penalized as provided in sub. (3):

948.21(2)(a) (a) Necessary care.

948.21(2)(b) (b) Necessary food.

948.21(2)(c) (c) Necessary clothing.

948.21(2)(d) (d) Necessary medical care.

948.21(2)(e) (e) Necessary shelter.

948.21(2)(f) (f) Education in compliance with s. 118.15.

948.21(2)(g) (g) The protection from exposure to the distribution or manufacture of controlled substances, as defined in s. 961.01 (4), or controlled substance analogs, as defined in s. 961.01 (4m), or to drug abuse, as defined in s. 46.973 (1) (b).

948.21(3) (3) Penalties. A person who violates sub. (2) is guilty of the following:

948.21(3)(a) (a) A Class D felony if the child suffers death as a consequence.

948.21(3)(b) (b) A Class F felony if any of the following applies:

948.21(3)(b)1. 1. The child suffers great bodily harm as a consequence.

948.21(3)(b)2. 2. The child becomes a victim of a child sex offense as a consequence.

948.21(3)(c) (c) A Class G felony if the child suffers emotional damage as a consequence.

948.21(3)(d) (d) A Class H felony if the child suffers bodily harm as a consequence.

948.21(3)(e) (e) A Class I felony if the natural and probable consequences of the violation would be a harm under par. (a), (b), (c), or (d) although the harm did not actually occur if one of the following applies: