(Indianapolis, IN) - A local state legislator has filed a proposal to protect children from exposure to pornography. State Sen. Mike Bohacek of Michiana Shores recently filed a bill requiring age verification for websites with pornographic content.

 

"Indiana has an opportunity to protect children from many types of pornographic material on the internet by simply limiting access to adults," Bohacek said. "These verification methods aren't restricting the rights of legal adults, just tightening the law to ensure kids don't access harmful material."

 

The legislation would make it a Class A misdemeanor for a website operator to knowingly or intentionally publish a pornographic site without reasonable age verification methods. The penalty would increase to a Level 6 felony with a prior violation or conviction.

 

The bill will be up for consideration in the 2024 legislative session. Similar legislation has already passed in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Utah, Virginia and Texas.

 

"States are only just beginning to implement meaningful protections to keep pornographic material away from our children, so it's important for Indiana to be a leader for others to follow," Bohacek said. "Today, kids carry the internet in their pocket, so we have to be proactive. This is a way to ensure our kids are using the internet safely."