AI Frontier Institute

Digital sexual image abuse.

View primary source →

Indiana House Bill 1182 (2026) has not been enacted. It was introduced January 5, 2026 and referred to the Committee on Courts and Criminal Code. If enacted, effective July 1, 2026, it would add IC 35-45-4-9 to create the offenses of "digital sexual image abuse" and "distribution of a digital sexual image." A "digital sexual image" is a digital, computer-generated image or video created or modified by artificial intelligence, software, an application, or other editing tools that depicts sexual intercourse, other sexual conduct, or exhibition of uncovered buttocks, genitals, or female breast, in a way that appears to depict an individual. Under IC 35-45-4-9(d), creating or possessing such an image without the depicted individual's consent would be a Class B misdemeanor. It would rise to a Class A misdemeanor with one prior unrelated conviction and a Level 6 felony with more than one (subsection (e)). Under subsection (f), distributing such an image without consent would be a Class A misdemeanor, or a Level 6 felony with a prior unrelated conviction under that subsection. Subsection (a) exempts certain distributions: reporting a possible crime, criminal investigations, court orders, and news or entertainment media. It also exempts newspapers and news services, cloud service providers, and Internet providers, affiliates, or search engines that only provide access to content they do not control and are not responsible for creating or publishing. Sections 1 and 2 add a cross-reference definition at IC 35-31.5-2-94.5 and amend IC 35-31.5-2-100 so "distribute" for IC 35-45-4-9 follows IC 35-45-4-8.

← Back to the tracker