Law / United States / Hawaii
Promoting Child Abuse, computer-generated child pornography
Haw. Rev. Stat. §§ 707-750 to 707-752
A citation is an address, not a summary. The first part names the law; what follows narrows it to the exact section, article or paragraph.
In force.
An AI prohibited practices rule binding public and private bodies.
As of 7 September 2026.
What it requires
- Do not produce, disseminate, or possess any visual representation, including a computer-generated or AI-generated image or picture, that depicts what appears to be an identifiable minor engaging in sexual conduct, whether or not any real minor was used to create it.
If you get it wrong
Criminal exposureYes
Criminal exposure note
Producing qualifying material is promoting child abuse in the first degree, a class A felony (fine up to $50,000, up to 20 years imprisonment under Haw. Rev. Stat. §§ 706-640, 706-659); disseminating it, or possessing thirty or more qualifying images meeting an aggravating criterion, is the second degree, a class B felony (fine up to $25,000, up to 10 years under §§ 706-640, 706-660); simple possession is the third degree, a class C felony (fine up to $10,000, up to 5 years under §§ 706-640, 706-660).
Penalty structure
Maximum fine varies by degree: first degree (production) class A felony up to $50,000 and up to 20 years imprisonment; second degree (dissemination, or possession of 30 or more qualifying images meeting an aggravating criterion) class B felony up to $25,000 and up to 10 years; third degree (simple possession) class C felony up to $10,000 and up to 5 years, under Haw. Rev. Stat. §§ 706-640, 706-659, 706-660.
- Rule
- Fixed only
- As of
- 7 September 2026
- Currency
- USD
- Fixed cap
- 50,000
What this law does
Drafted with AI from the cited sources under the direction of UnGovr staff. UnGovr holds editorial responsibility for this page.
Hawaii's promoting-child-abuse statute defines "child pornography" to include any pornographic visual representation, including a "computer or computer-generated image or picture," where either the production used a real minor or the image "has been created, adapted, or modified to appear that an identifiable minor is engaging in sexual conduct," reaching an AI-generated or AI-altered depiction with no real minor involved at all.
Producing such material is promoting child abuse in the first degree (class A felony); disseminating it, or possessing thirty or more qualifying images, is the second degree (class B felony); simple possession is the third degree (class C felony). This computer-generated language was added by 2002 Session Laws Act 200 to address, in the legislature's words, "the problem of utilizing computer technology in committing crimes against children."
When LexLint raises it
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