What Are The Elements of Indecent Exposure ?
| Indecent exposure refers a criminal act which a person intentionally exposure his/her genitals in public to alarm or offend other people. |
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In most cases, indecent exposure is done to please the sexual gratification of the offender.
What constitutes indecent exposure?
Standards of decency of the community probably constitute indecent exposure. In fact, every community has different standard. For example, women in Afghanistan are expected to wear outer garment cloaking the entire body. Exposure of any part of woman’s body is considered to be indecent. On the other hands, it would be a reasonable expectation to see a naked person on a nude beach. In addition, standard of decency can also change from time to time. For instance, a woman in Victorian era is not supposed to expose her leg, but the same action is considered decent in the western world today.
Sometimes the motivation of the exposure is used to determine what is appropriate or inappropriate. For example, breastfeeding is not considered to be indecent in the United States, Canada, Scotland, and Australia. In fact, federal laws in United States are passed to protect nursing mothers from harassment. On the other hands, if the intention of exposure is for fun, a protest, the action may be considered as an act of indecent exposure.
Consequences For Indecent Exposure
The laws and punishment for indecent exposure vary from community to community. In United State, indecent exposure is considered to be criminal offense in all fifty states. The offender may be fined or imprisoned, depending on the state.
Some states may register a convict as a sex offender.
In Australia, maximum penalty for willful exposure can range from six months up to two years imprisonment, depending on territory.
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