{
  "batch": "792-pennsylvania-obscenity-and-distribution",
  "articles": [
    {
      "id": "learn_r792_pennsylvania_obscenity_and_distribution_pa_anchorsite",
      "category": "Safety",
      "title": "[Unverified - being checked] Pennsylvania: statutory code index",
      "summary": "[Unverified - being checked] Pennsylvania's consolidated statutes are published on the official General Assembly site at palegis.us/statutes/consolidated listing titles including Title 18 for Crimes and Offenses.",
      "body": "Pennsylvania's consolidated statutes are published on the official General Assembly site at palegis.us/statutes/consolidated listing titles including Title 18 for Crimes and Offenses.\n\nWhat Pennsylvania General Assembly actually says:\n\n“Consolidated Statutes - The Official Website of the Pennsylvania General Assembly”\n\nNote: Anchor record for Pennsylvania consolidated statutes index.",
      "source_type": "official",
      "source_link": "https://www.palegis.us/statutes/consolidated",
      "last_verified": "2026-10-15",
      "reliability": "STRONG PRACTICE",
      "source_tier": "A",
      "source_publisher": "Pennsylvania General Assembly",
      "evidence_quote": "Consolidated Statutes - The Official Website of the Pennsylvania General Assembly",
      "volatility": "low",
      "from_batch": "792-pennsylvania-obscenity-and-distribution",
      "subject": "Pennsylvania",
      "topic": "statutory code index",
      "tags": {
        "lane": "any",
        "stage": "choosing",
        "region": [
          "us-pa"
        ],
        "platform": "any",
        "topic": [
          "safety.legal"
        ],
        "explicitness": "any"
      },
      "verification": {
        "status": "unverified",
        "label": "Unverified - being checked",
        "reasons": [
          "legal_fetch_over_cap"
        ],
        "checked_utc": "20261021-123916Z"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "learn_r792_pennsylvania_obscenity_and_distribution_pa_18_5903_obscene_def",
      "category": "Safety",
      "title": "[Unverified - being checked] Pennsylvania: obscenity definition statute",
      "summary": "[Unverified - being checked] Pennsylvania defines obscene material or performance under 18 Pa.C.S. § 5903(b) as matter where the average person applying contemporary community standards would find it appeals to the prurient interest, depicts sexual conduct in a patently offensive way, and taken as a whole lacks serious literary, artistic, political, educational or scientific value.",
      "body": "Pennsylvania defines obscene material or performance under 18 Pa.C.S. § 5903(b) as matter where the average person applying contemporary community standards would find it appeals to the prurient interest, depicts sexual conduct in a patently offensive way, and taken as a whole lacks serious literary, artistic, political, educational or scientific value.\n\nWhat Pennsylvania General Assembly actually says:\n\n“\"Obscene.\" Any material or performance, if:\n\n (1) the average person applying contemporary community standards would find that the subject matter taken as a whole appeals to the prurient interest;\n\n (2) the subject matter depicts or describes in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct of a type described in this section; and\n\n (3) the subject matter, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, educational or scientific value.”\n\nNote: Statutory definition of obscenity under 18 Pa.C.S. § 5903(b).",
      "source_type": "official",
      "source_link": "https://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/LI/CT/HTM/18/00.059..HTM",
      "last_verified": "2026-10-15",
      "reliability": "STRONG PRACTICE",
      "source_tier": "A",
      "source_publisher": "Pennsylvania General Assembly",
      "evidence_quote": "\"Obscene.\" Any material or performance, if:\n\n (1) the average person applying contemporary community standards would find that the subject matter taken as a whole appeals to the prurient interest;\n\n (2) the subject matter depicts or describes in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct of a type described in this section; and\n\n (3) the subject matter, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, educational or scientific value.",
      "volatility": "low",
      "from_batch": "792-pennsylvania-obscenity-and-distribution",
      "subject": "Pennsylvania",
      "topic": "obscenity definition statute",
      "applies_to_country": "US",
      "applies_to_scope": "Pennsylvania",
      "tags": {
        "lane": "any",
        "stage": "running",
        "region": [
          "us-pa"
        ],
        "platform": "any",
        "topic": [
          "safety.legal",
          "rules.content"
        ],
        "explicitness": "explicit_solo"
      },
      "verification": {
        "status": "unverified",
        "label": "Unverified - being checked",
        "reasons": [
          "legal_fetch_over_cap"
        ],
        "checked_utc": "20261021-123916Z"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "learn_r792_pennsylvania_obscenity_and_distribution_pa_18_5903_distribution",
      "category": "Safety",
      "title": "[Unverified - being checked] Pennsylvania: distribution or sale offence",
      "summary": "[Unverified - being checked] Pennsylvania law under 18 Pa.C.S. § 5903(a)(2) prohibits selling, lending, distributing, transmitting, exhibiting, giving away, showing, or possessing with intent to sell, lend, distribute, transmit, exhibit, give away, or show any obscene materials to any person 18 years of age or older, or knowingly advertising any obscene materials.",
      "body": "Pennsylvania law under 18 Pa.C.S. § 5903(a)(2) prohibits selling, lending, distributing, transmitting, exhibiting, giving away, showing, or possessing with intent to sell, lend, distribute, transmit, exhibit, give away, or show any obscene materials to any person 18 years of age or older, or knowingly advertising any obscene materials.\n\nWhat Pennsylvania General Assembly actually says:\n\n“(2) sell, lend, distribute, transmit, exhibit, give away or show any obscene materials to any person 18 years of age or older or offer to sell, lend, distribute, transmit, exhibit or give away or show, or have in his possession with intent to sell, lend, distribute, transmit, exhibit or give away or show any obscene materials to any person 18 years of age or older, or knowingly advertise any obscene materials in any manner;”\n\nNote: Distribution and sale offense under 18 Pa.C.S. § 5903(a)(2).",
      "source_type": "official",
      "source_link": "https://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/LI/CT/HTM/18/00.059..HTM",
      "last_verified": "2026-10-15",
      "reliability": "STRONG PRACTICE",
      "source_tier": "A",
      "source_publisher": "Pennsylvania General Assembly",
      "evidence_quote": "(2) sell, lend, distribute, transmit, exhibit, give away or show any obscene materials to any person 18 years of age or older or offer to sell, lend, distribute, transmit, exhibit or give away or show, or have in his possession with intent to sell, lend, distribute, transmit, exhibit or give away or show any obscene materials to any person 18 years of age or older, or knowingly advertise any obscene materials in any manner;",
      "volatility": "low",
      "from_batch": "792-pennsylvania-obscenity-and-distribution",
      "subject": "Pennsylvania",
      "topic": "distribution or sale offence",
      "applies_to_country": "US",
      "applies_to_scope": "Pennsylvania",
      "tags": {
        "lane": "any",
        "stage": "running",
        "region": [
          "us-pa"
        ],
        "platform": "any",
        "topic": [
          "safety.legal",
          "rules.content"
        ],
        "explicitness": "explicit_solo"
      },
      "verification": {
        "status": "unverified",
        "label": "Unverified - being checked",
        "reasons": [
          "legal_fetch_over_cap"
        ],
        "checked_utc": "20261021-123916Z"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "learn_r792_pennsylvania_obscenity_and_distribution_pa_18_5903_harmful_to_minors",
      "category": "Safety",
      "title": "[Unverified - being checked] Pennsylvania: harmful-to-minors provision",
      "summary": "[Unverified - being checked] Pennsylvania prohibits disseminating explicit sexual materials to minors under 18 Pa.C.S. § 5903(c), where 'harmful to minors' is defined under subsection (e)(6) as any description or representation of nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, or sadomasochistic abuse that predominantly appeals to the prurient, shameful, or morbid interest of minors, is patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community as a whole with respect to what is suitable material for minors, and taken as a whole lacks serious literary, artistic, political, educational or scientific value for minors.",
      "body": "Pennsylvania prohibits disseminating explicit sexual materials to minors under 18 Pa.C.S. § 5903(c), where 'harmful to minors' is defined under subsection (e)(6) as any description or representation of nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, or sadomasochistic abuse that predominantly appeals to the prurient, shameful, or morbid interest of minors, is patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community as a whole with respect to what is suitable material for minors, and taken as a whole lacks serious literary, artistic, political, educational or scientific value for minors.\n\nWhat Pennsylvania General Assembly actually says:\n\n“(6) \"Harmful to minors\" means that quality of any description or representation, in whatever form, of nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, or sadomasochistic abuse, when it:\n\n (1) predominantly appeals to the prurient, shameful, or morbid interest of minors; and\n\n (ii) is patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community as a whole with respect to what is suitable material for minors; and\n\n (iii) taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, educational or scientific value for minors.”\n\nNote: Harmful to minors definition under 18 Pa.C.S. § 5903(e)(6).",
      "source_type": "official",
      "source_link": "https://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/LI/CT/HTM/18/00.059..HTM",
      "last_verified": "2026-10-15",
      "reliability": "STRONG PRACTICE",
      "source_tier": "A",
      "source_publisher": "Pennsylvania General Assembly",
      "evidence_quote": "(6) \"Harmful to minors\" means that quality of any description or representation, in whatever form, of nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, or sadomasochistic abuse, when it:\n\n (1) predominantly appeals to the prurient, shameful, or morbid interest of minors; and\n\n (ii) is patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community as a whole with respect to what is suitable material for minors; and\n\n (iii) taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, educational or scientific value for minors.",
      "volatility": "low",
      "from_batch": "792-pennsylvania-obscenity-and-distribution",
      "subject": "Pennsylvania",
      "topic": "harmful-to-minors provision",
      "applies_to_country": "US",
      "applies_to_scope": "Pennsylvania",
      "tags": {
        "lane": "any",
        "stage": "running",
        "region": [
          "us-pa"
        ],
        "platform": "any",
        "topic": [
          "safety.legal",
          "rules.content"
        ],
        "explicitness": "explicit_solo"
      },
      "verification": {
        "status": "unverified",
        "label": "Unverified - being checked",
        "reasons": [
          "legal_fetch_over_cap"
        ],
        "checked_utc": "20261021-123916Z"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "learn_r792_pennsylvania_obscenity_and_distribution_pa_18_5903_penalties",
      "category": "Safety",
      "title": "[Unverified - being checked] Pennsylvania: penalty classification for each offence",
      "summary": "[Unverified - being checked] Pennsylvania classifies violations of general obscenity offenses under 18 Pa.C.S. § 5903(h)(1) as a misdemeanor of the first degree, or a felony of the third degree if the offender has prior convictions or if the material was prepared for resale, while violations of dissemination or exhibition to minors under subsections (c) and (d) are classified under subsection (h)(2) as a felony of the third degree, escalating to a felony of the second degree for subsequent convictions.",
      "body": "Pennsylvania classifies violations of general obscenity offenses under 18 Pa.C.S. § 5903(h)(1) as a misdemeanor of the first degree, or a felony of the third degree if the offender has prior convictions or if the material was prepared for resale, while violations of dissemination or exhibition to minors under subsections (c) and (d) are classified under subsection (h)(2) as a felony of the third degree, escalating to a felony of the second degree for subsequent convictions.\n\nWhat Pennsylvania General Assembly actually says:\n\n“(h) Criminal prosecution.-- \n\n (1) Any person who violates subsection (a), (a.1) or (f) is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree. Violation of subsection (a) is a felony of the third degree if the offender has previously been convicted of a violation of subsection (a) or if the material was sold, distributed, prepared or published for the purpose of resale.\n\n (2) Any person who violates subsection (c) or (d) is guilty of a felony of the third degree. Violation of subsection (c) or (d) is a felony of the second degree if the offender has previously been convicted of a violation of subsection (c) or (d).”\n\nNote: Penalty classifications under 18 Pa.C.S. § 5903(h).",
      "source_type": "official",
      "source_link": "https://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/LI/CT/HTM/18/00.059..HTM",
      "last_verified": "2026-10-15",
      "reliability": "STRONG PRACTICE",
      "source_tier": "A",
      "source_publisher": "Pennsylvania General Assembly",
      "evidence_quote": "(h) Criminal prosecution.-- \n\n (1) Any person who violates subsection (a), (a.1) or (f) is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree. Violation of subsection (a) is a felony of the third degree if the offender has previously been convicted of a violation of subsection (a) or if the material was sold, distributed, prepared or published for the purpose of resale.\n\n (2) Any person who violates subsection (c) or (d) is guilty of a felony of the third degree. Violation of subsection (c) or (d) is a felony of the second degree if the offender has previously been convicted of a violation of subsection (c) or (d).",
      "volatility": "low",
      "from_batch": "792-pennsylvania-obscenity-and-distribution",
      "subject": "Pennsylvania",
      "topic": "penalty classification for each offence",
      "applies_to_country": "US",
      "applies_to_scope": "Pennsylvania",
      "tags": {
        "lane": "any",
        "stage": "running",
        "region": [
          "us-pa"
        ],
        "platform": "any",
        "topic": [
          "safety.legal"
        ],
        "explicitness": "explicit_solo"
      },
      "verification": {
        "status": "unverified",
        "label": "Unverified - being checked",
        "reasons": [
          "legal_fetch_over_cap"
        ],
        "checked_utc": "20261021-123916Z"
      }
    }
  ]
}