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RCW 9.68A.070

Possession of depictions of minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Applied in 81 court decisions — leading case Osborne v. Ohio (1990)

Most recently applied in State of Washington, V. Tommy Darren Tyson (February 2025)

2019 c 128 s 6; 2017 c 126 s 2; 2010 c 227 s 6; 2006 c 139 s 3; 1990 c 155 s 1; 1989 c 32 s 5; 1984 c 262 s 6.

How often courts cite this section

1989200020102020202580
citing decisions per year

Court decisions citing this, by year. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.

*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 5105-S.SL) ***

(1)(a) Except as provided in subsections (3) and (4) of this section, a person commits the crime of possession of depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct in the first degree when he or she knowingly possesses a visual or printed matter depicting a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct as defined in *RCW 9.68A.011(4) (a) through (e).

(b) Possession of depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct in the first degree is a class B felony punishable under chapter 9A.20 RCW.

(c) For the purposes of determining the unit of prosecution under this subsection, each depiction or image of visual or printed matter constitutes a separate offense.

(2)(a) Except as provided in subsections (3) and (4) of this section, a person commits the crime of possession of depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct in the second degree when he or she knowingly possesses any visual or printed matter depicting a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct as defined in *RCW 9.68A.011(4) (f) or (g).

(b) Possession of depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct in the second degree is a class B felony punishable under chapter 9A.20 RCW.

(c) For the purposes of determining the unit of prosecution under this subsection, each incident of possession of one or more depictions or images of visual or printed matter constitutes a separate offense.

(3) This section does not apply to a minor's possession of visual or printed matter depicting any minor thirteen years of age or older engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

(4) This section does not apply to a person under thirteen years of age in possession of visual or printed matter depicting himself or herself engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Official source: Washington State Legislature. Reproduced from public-domain Washington statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.