948.11(5)
(5) Severability. The provisions of this section, including the provisions of
sub. (4), are severable, as provided in
s. 990.001 (11).
948.11 Annotation
This section is not unconstitutionally overbroad. The exemption from prosecution of libraries, educational institutions, and their employees and directors does not violate equal protection rights. State v. Thiel,
183 Wis. 2d 505,
515 N.W.2d 847 (1994).
948.11 Annotation
The lack of a requirement in sub. (2) (a) that the defendant know the age of the child exposed to the harmful material does not render the statute unconstitutional on its face. State v. Kevin L.C.
216 Wis. 2d 166,
576 N.W.2d 62 (Ct. App. 1997).
948.11 Annotation
An individual violates this section if he or she, aware of the nature of the material, knowingly offers or presents for inspection to a specific minor material defined as harmful to children in sub. (1) (b). The personal contact between the perpetrator and the child-victim is what allows the state to impose on the defendant the risk that the victim is a minor. State v. Trochinski, 2002 WI 56,
253 Wis. 2d 38,
644 N.W.2d 891.
948.12
948.12
Possession of child pornography. 948.12(1m)
(1m) Whoever possesses any undeveloped film, photographic negative, photograph, motion picture, videotape, or other recording of a child engaged in sexually explicit conduct under all of the following circumstances is guilty of a Class I felony:
Effective date note
NOTE: Sub. (1m) (intro.) is shown as amended eff. 2-1-03 by
2001 Wis. Act 109. Prior to 2-1-03 it reads:
Effective date text
(1m) Whoever possesses any undeveloped film, photographic negative, photograph, motion picture, videotape, or other recording of a child engaged in sexually explicit conduct under all of the following circumstances is guilty of a Class E felony:
948.12(1m)(a)
(a) The person knows that he or she possesses the material.
948.12(1m)(b)
(b) The person knows the character and content of the sexually explicit conduct in the material.
948.12(1m)(c)
(c) The person knows or reasonably should know that the child engaged in sexually explicit conduct has not attained the age of 18 years.
948.12(2m)
(2m) Whoever exhibits or plays a recording of a child engaged in sexually explicit conduct, if all of the following apply, is guilty of a Class I felony:
Effective date note
NOTE: Sub. (2m) (intro.) is shown as amended eff. 2-1-03 by
2001 Wis. Act 109. Prior to 2-1-03 it reads:
Effective date text
(2m) Whoever exhibits or plays a recording of a child engaged in sexually explicit conduct, if all of the following apply, is guilty of a Class E felony:
948.12(2m)(a)
(a) The person knows that he or she has exhibited or played the recording.
948.12(2m)(b)
(b) Before the person exhibited or played the recording, he or she knew the character and content of the sexually explicit conduct.
948.12(2m)(c)
(c) Before the person exhibited or played the recording, he or she knew or reasonably should have known that the child engaged in sexually explicit conduct had not attained the age of 18 years.
948.12 Annotation
A violation of this section must be based on the content of the photograph and how it was produced. Evidence of the location and manner of storing the photo are not properly considered. State v. A. H.
211 Wis. 2d 561,
566 N.W.2d 858 (Ct. App. 1997).
948.12 Annotation
For purposes of multiplicity analysis each image possessed can be prosecuted separately. Prosecution is not based upon the medium of reproduction. Multiple punishment is appropriate for a defendant who compiled and stored multiple images over time. State v. Multaler, 2002 WI 35,
252 Wis. 2d 54,
643 N.W.2d 437.
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, or a crime under
s. 948.02 (1) or
(2),
948.025 (1),
948.05 (1) or
(1m),
948.06,
948.07 (1),
(2),
(3), or
(4), or
948.075.
948.13 Note
NOTE: Par. (a) is shown as affected by two acts of the 2001 legislature and as merged by the revisor under s. 13.93 (2) (c).
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)(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).
Effective date note
NOTE: Sub. (2) is shown as affected eff. 2-1-03 by two acts of the 2001 legislature and as merged by the revisor under s. 13.93 (2) (c). Prior to 2-1-03 it reads:
Effective date text
(2) (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 C felony.
948.13 Note
(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 Note
1. The only serious child sex offense for which the person has been convicted is a crime under s. 948.02 (2).
948.13 Note
2. The person was convicted of the serious child sex offense before May 7, 2002.
948.13 Note
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 Note
(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)(a)(a) A person who has been convicted of a crime under
s. 948.02 (2) or
948.025 (1) 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) or
948.025 (1) 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)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)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: teaching children, child care, youth counseling, youth organization, coaching children, parks or playground recreation or school bus driving.
948.13 History
History: 1995 a. 265;
1997 a. 130,
220;
1999 a. 3;
2001 a. 97,
109; s. 13.93 (2) (c).
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.
Effective date note
NOTE: This section is shown as amended eff. 2-1-03 by
2001 Wis. Act 109. Prior to 2-1-03 it reads:
Effective date text
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 D 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) Any person who is responsible for a child's welfare who, through his or her actions or failure to take action, intentionally contributes to the neglect of the child is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor or, if death is a consequence, a Class D felony.
Effective date note
NOTE: Sub. (1) is shown as amended eff. 2-1-03 by
2001 Wis. Act 109. Prior to 2-1-03 it reads:
Effective date text
(1) Any person who is responsible for a child's welfare who, through his or her actions or failure to take action, intentionally contributes to the neglect of the child is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor or, if death is a consequence, a Class C felony.
948.21(2)
(2) Under
sub. (1), a person responsible for the child's welfare contributes to the neglect of the child although the child does not actually become neglected if the natural and probable consequences of the person's actions or failure to take action would be to cause the child to become neglected.
948.21 History
History: 1987 a. 332;
2001 a. 109.
948.22
948.22
Failure to support. 948.22(1)(a)
(a) "Child support" means an amount which a person is ordered to provide for support of a child by a court of competent jurisdiction in this state or in another state, territory or possession of the United States, or, if not ordered, an amount that a person is legally obligated to provide under
s. 49.90.
948.22(1)(c)
(c) "Spousal support" means an amount which a person is ordered to provide for support of a spouse or former spouse by a court of competent jurisdiction in this state or in another state, territory or possession of the United States, or, if not ordered, an amount that a person is legally obligated to provide under
s. 49.90.
948.22(2)
(2) Any person who intentionally fails for 120 or more consecutive days to provide spousal, grandchild or child support which the person knows or reasonably should know the person is legally obligated to provide is guilty of a Class I felony. A prosecutor may charge a person with multiple counts for a violation under this subsection if each count covers a period of at least 120 consecutive days and there is no overlap between periods.
Effective date note
NOTE: Sub. (2) is shown as amended eff. 2-1-03 by
2001 Wis. Act 109. Prior to 2-1-03 it reads:
Effective date text
(2) Any person who intentionally fails for 120 or more consecutive days to provide spousal, grandchild or child support which the person knows or reasonably should know the person is legally obligated to provide is guilty of a Class E felony. A prosecutor may charge a person with multiple counts for a violation under this subsection if each count covers a period of at least 120 consecutive days and there is no overlap between periods.
948.22(3)
(3) Any person who intentionally fails for less than 120 consecutive days to provide spousal, grandchild or child support which the person knows or reasonably should know the person is legally obligated to provide is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.
948.22(4)
(4) Under this section, the following is prima facie evidence of intentional failure to provide child, grandchild or spousal support:
948.22(4)(a)
(a) For a person subject to a court order requiring child, grandchild or spousal support payments, when the person knows or reasonably should have known that he or she is required to pay support under an order, failure to pay the child, grandchild or spousal support payment required under the order.
948.22(4)(b)
(b) For a person not subject to a court order requiring child, grandchild or spousal support payments, when the person knows or reasonably should have known that he or she has a dependent, failure to provide support equal to at least the amount established by rule by the department of workforce development under
s. 49.22 (9) or causing a spouse, grandchild or child to become a dependent person, or continue to be a dependent person, as defined in
s. 49.01 (2).
948.22(5)
(5) Under this section, it is not a defense that child, grandchild or spousal support is provided wholly or partially by any other person or entity.
948.22(6)
(6) Under this section, affirmative defenses include but are not limited to inability to provide child, grandchild or spousal support. A person may not demonstrate inability to provide child, grandchild or spousal support if the person is employable but, without reasonable excuse, either fails to diligently seek employment, terminates employment or reduces his or her earnings or assets. A person who raises an affirmative defense has the burden of proving the defense by a preponderance of the evidence.
948.22(7)(a)(a) Before trial, upon petition by the complainant and notice to the defendant, the court may enter a temporary order requiring payment of child, grandchild or spousal support.
