ID wants new crimes to punish indecent webcam exposure to kids

An age-old crime goes high tech. It didn't take long for people who have a predilection to expose themselves to figure out that Web cameras could be used for exchanging sexual images or to do live sexual touching or masturbation in view of a digital camera.

Iowan lawmakers worry that children and teenagers may become victims of indecent exposure on the Internet - and are creating a new criminal offense called "indecent exposure by electronic transmission of an image," reports the DesMoines Register.

"What they're doing is showing sexual pictures of themselves in order to lower children's inhibitions so they will meet with them in person," Steve Bogle, commissioner of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, said Monday.

The proposal would make itan aggravated misdemeanor to expose one's genitals or pubic area through a webcam or other electronic device to a child, or a person believed to be under 14, when the act is intended to arouse or satisfy sexual desires.

It would be a serious misdemeanor if genitals are revealed to anyone of any age when the perpetrator knows or reasonably should know that the act is offensive to the viewer.

There is currently no Iowa law that would allow investigators to charge people for exposing themselves to an Iowa child via a webcam, Bogle said.

A town hall meeting proved surprisingly contentious over the issue of cops going undercover online as kids.

A West Des Moines mother, Stephanie Fawkes-Lee, told lawmakers in a committee meeting last week that she thinks it's wrong "for cops to pretend to be children."

"The kids see you as liars," said Fawkes-Lee, who is married to a lobbyist for the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa. "I know it's a horrible problem, but you're losing your reputation as the good guys. You have to tell the truth and have integrity. There's no shortcut to it."