Law / United States / Iowa
Sexual exploitation of a minor, AI-generated and manipulated depictions
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 6 September 2026.
What this law does
Drafted with AI from the cited sources under the direction of UnGovr staff. UnGovr holds editorial responsibility for this page.
Iowa's sexual-exploitation-of-a-minor offense reaches a visual depiction that has been created, adapted, or modified to give the appearance that an identifiable minor is engaged in a prohibited sexual act, which extends the offense to AI-generated and digitally manipulated depictions and does not require proof of the actual identity of the depicted minor.
Purchasing or possessing such a depiction is a class D felony for a first offense and a class C felony for a second or subsequent offense; knowingly promoting one is a class C felony; employing, using, or causing a minor to engage in the underlying act is a class B felony, with a court-imposable fine of up to fifty thousand dollars per offense in addition to any other sentence. The provision binds any person and is not limited to an AI developer or platform.
The provision's own amendment history in the Iowa Code names the amending Acts by year only, without a single commencement date for this language.
If you get it wrong
Criminal exposureYes
Criminal exposure note
Purchasing or possessing a prohibited visual depiction of a minor, including one created, adapted, or modified to depict an identifiable minor, is a class D felony for a first offense and a class C felony for a second or subsequent offense. Knowingly promoting such material is a class C felony. Employing, using, persuading, inducing, enticing, coercing, or soliciting a minor to engage in a prohibited sexual act, or the simulation of one, is a class B felony, and the court may assess a fine of up to fifty thousand dollars for each offense in addition to any other sentence.
Who enforces it
Enforcement body
criminal prosecution under Iowa's criminal code
What it reaches
Obligation class
Prohibition
When LexLint raises it
generates_content