Tex. Penal Code § 43.24 · Subchapter B. OBSCENITY
SALE, DISTRIBUTION, OR DISPLAY OF HARMFUL MATERIAL TO MINOR.
Text — Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
(a) For purposes of this section:
(1) "Minor" means an individual younger than 18 years.
(2) "Harmful material" means material whose dominant theme taken as a whole:
(A) appeals to the prurient interest of a minor, in sex, nudity, or excretion;
(B) is patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community as a whole with respect to what is suitable for minors; and
(C) is utterly without redeeming social value for minors.
(b) A person commits an offense if, knowing that the material is harmful:
(1) and knowing the person is a minor, he sells, distributes, exhibits, or possesses for sale, distribution, or exhibition to a minor harmful material;
(2) he displays harmful material and is reckless about whether a minor is present who will be offended or alarmed by the display; or
(3) he hires, employs, or uses a minor to do or accomplish or assist in doing or accomplishing any of the acts prohibited in Subsection (b)(1) or (b)(2).
(c) Repealed by Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 39 (S.B. 412), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2025.
(c-1) It is a defense to prosecution under this section that the actor was the spouse of the minor at the time of the offense.
(c-2) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under Subsection (b)(1) or (2) that at the time of the offense the actor was a judicial or law enforcement officer discharging the officer's official duties.
(d) An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor unless it is committed under Subsection (b)(3) in which event it is a felony of the third degree.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Acts 1973, 63rd Leg., p. 883, ch. 399, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1974. Amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 900, Sec. 1.01, eff. Sept. 1, 1994.
Amended by:
Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 497 (H.B. 1344), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2011.
Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 39 (S.B. 412), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2025.
Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 39 (S.B. 412), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2025.
Source of truth
- Edition
- Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
- Official file
- https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PE/htm/PE.43.htm
- Text hash
- sha256 e07479cb44dd7d9fd614afc0bcc6dcbdaf968cac97c99f15640618d96302e566
- Composed by
- compose_tx.py 2026-10-05: the Legislative Council's chapter files read in document order; verify_tx.py's independent reading (lxml DOM walk) agrees character for character
Cited by 5 provisions
Provisions in this library whose text cites Tex. Penal Code § 43.24. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.
Business & Commerce Code
Code of Criminal Procedure
Education Code
- Tex. Educ. Code § 22A.201DENIAL OR REVOCATION OF CERTIFICATE AND TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT BASED ON CONVICTION OF OR PLACEMENT ON DEFERRED ADJUDICATION COMMUNITY SUPERVISION FOR CERTAIN OFFENSES.Printed as Section 21.12 or 43.24, Penal Code
- Tex. Educ. Code § 33.020DEFINITIONS.Printed as Section 43.24, Penal Code
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.