Me. Rev. Stat. » Title 17-A
Maine Revised Statutes

Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 256 (2026)

Visual sexual aggression against child

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1.  A person is guilty of visual sexual aggression against a child if:  
A. For the purpose of arousing or gratifying sexual desire or for the purpose of causing affront or alarm, the actor, having in fact attained 18 years of age, exposes the actor's genitals to another person or causes the other person to expose that person's genitals to the actor and the other person, not the actor's spouse, has not in fact attained 14 years of age. Violation of this paragraph is a Class D crime;   [PL 2005, c. 655, §1 (AMD).]
B. For the purpose of arousing or gratifying sexual desire, the actor, having in fact attained 18 years of age, exposes the actor's genitals to another person or causes the other person to expose that person's genitals to the actor and the other person, not the actor's spouse, has not in fact attained 12 years of age. Violation of this paragraph is a Class C crime;   [PL 2005, c. 655, §1 (AMD).]
C. For the purpose of arousing or gratifying sexual desire, the actor, having in fact attained 18 years of age, intentionally engages in visual surveillance, aided or unaided by mechanical or electronic equipment, of the uncovered breasts, buttocks, genitals, anus or pubic area of another person, not the actor's spouse and not having in fact attained 14 years of age, under circumstances in which a reasonable person would expect to be safe from such visual surveillance. Violation of this paragraph is a Class D crime; or   [PL 2007, c. 688, §1 (AMD).]
D. For the purpose of arousing or gratifying sexual desire, the actor, having in fact attained 18 years of age, intentionally engages in visual surveillance, aided or unaided by mechanical or electronic equipment, of the uncovered breasts, buttocks, genitals, anus or pubic area of another person, not the actor's spouse and not having in fact attained 12 years of age, under circumstances in which a reasonable person would expect to be safe from such visual surveillance. Violation of this paragraph is a Class C crime.   [PL 2007, c. 688, §1 (AMD).]
 
[PL 2007, c. 688, §1 (AMD).]
2. 
[PL 2003, c. 711, Pt. B, §4 (RP).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 1995, c. 72, §1 (NEW). PL 2003, c. 711, §B4 (RPR). PL 2005, c. 655, §1 (AMD). PL 2007, c. 688, §1 (AMD).
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 15 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 2007–2025 · leading case: State of Maine v. Nicholas E. Westgate, 2016 ME 145, 148 A.3d 716.
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State of Maine v. Nicholas E. Westgate, 2016 ME 145, 148 A.3d 716. · cites it 4× “§ 255-A(l)(E-l) (2015), and one count of visual sexual aggression against a child (Class C), 17-A M.R.S. § 256(1)(B) (2015). At trial, the State sought to prove that Westgate committed each of the offenses against a victim under the age of twelve.”
State v. Samson, 2007 ME 33, 916 A.2d 977. · cites it 3× “§ 255-A (2006), P.L. 2001, ch. 383, §§ 22, 23 (effective Jan.”
Richard Watson v. State of Maine, 2020 ME 51, 230 A.3d 6. “§ 255-A(1)(F-1) (2018), and one count of visual sexual aggression against a child (Class C), 17-A M.R.S. § 256(1)(B) (2018). [¶3] A two-day jury trial was held in July 2015.”
State of Maine v. Kevin Carey, 2019 ME 131, 214 A.3d 488. · cites it 2× “§ 253(1)(A) (2018); one count of unlawful sexual contact (Class A), 17-A M.R.S. § 255-A(1)(F-1) (2018); one count of unlawful sexual contact (Class B), 17-A M.”
State v. Graham, 2010 ME 60, 998 A.2d 339. · cites it 2× “§ 255-A(1)(E-1) (2009), and visual sexual aggression against a child (Class C), 17-A M.R.S. § 256(1)(B) (2009), entered in the Unified Criminal Docket (Cumberland County, Beaudoin, J.”
State of Maine v. Richard J. Watson, 2016 ME 176, 152 A.3d 152. “§ 255-A(l)(F-l) (2015), and one count of visual sexual aggression against a child (Class C), 17-A M.R.S. § 256(1)(B) (2015), entered in the Unified Criminal Docket (Penobscot County, Lucy, J.”
In re Child of Ryan F., 2020 ME 21, 224 A.3d 1051. “§ 255-A (2018); visual sexual aggression against a child, 17-A M.R.S. § 256 (2018); sexual misconduct with a child under 14 years of age, 17-A M.”
In re Child of Nicholas G., 2019 ME 13. “§ 282(1)(C) (2010),2 visual sexual aggression against a child (Class C), 17-A M.R.S. § 256(1)(B) (2017), and sixty-five counts of possession of explicit material of a minor under age twelve (Class C), 17-A M.”
In re Nicholas G., 200 A.3d 783 (Me. 2019). “§ 282(1)(C) (2010), 2 visual sexual *786 aggression against a child (Class C), 17-A M.R.S. § 256(1)(B) (2017), and sixty-five counts of possession of explicit material of a minor under age twelve (Class C), 17-A M.”
State of Maine v. Townsend Thorndike, 2025 ME 61, 340 A.3d 77. · cites it 2× “Thorndike contends that the court erred by admitting at trial a video recording of a forensic interview of the victim pursuant to the statutory exception in 16 M.”
State of Maine v. Nicholas E. Westgate, 2020 ME 74, 234 A.3d 230. · cites it 2× “§ 255-A(1)(E-1) (2020), and one count of visual sexual aggression against a child (Class C), 17-A M.R.S. § 256(1)(B) (2020), entered after a jury trial.”
State of Maine v. Nicholas E. Westgate, 2020 ME 74, 234 A.3d 230. · cites it 2× “§ 255-A(1)(E-1) (2020), and one count of visual sexual aggression against a child (Class C), 17-A M.R.S. § 256(1)(B) (2020), entered after a jury trial.”
Show all 15 citing cases →
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 256(1): 1 case
State v. Samson, 2007 ME 33, 916 A.2d 977. “§ 255-A (2006), P.L. 2001, ch. 383, §§ 22, 23 (effective Jan.”
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 256(1)(B): 12 cases
State of Maine v. Nicholas E. Westgate, 2016 ME 145, 148 A.3d 716. “§ 255-A(l)(E-l) (2015), and one count of visual sexual aggression against a child (Class C), 17-A M.R.S. § 256(1)(B) (2015). At trial, the State sought to prove that Westgate committed each of the offenses against a victim under the age of twelve.”
Richard Watson v. State of Maine, 2020 ME 51, 230 A.3d 6. “§ 255-A(1)(F-1) (2018), and one count of visual sexual aggression against a child (Class C), 17-A M.R.S. § 256(1)(B) (2018). [¶3] A two-day jury trial was held in July 2015.”
State of Maine v. Kevin Carey, 2019 ME 131, 214 A.3d 488. “§ 253(1)(A) (2018); one count of unlawful sexual contact (Class A), 17-A M.R.S. § 255-A(1)(F-1) (2018); one count of unlawful sexual contact (Class B), 17-A M.”
State v. Graham, 2010 ME 60, 998 A.2d 339. “§ 255-A(1)(E-1) (2009), and visual sexual aggression against a child (Class C), 17-A M.R.S. § 256(1)(B) (2009), entered in the Unified Criminal Docket (Cumberland County, Beaudoin, J.”
State of Maine v. Richard J. Watson, 2016 ME 176, 152 A.3d 152. “§ 255-A(l)(F-l) (2015), and one count of visual sexual aggression against a child (Class C), 17-A M.R.S. § 256(1)(B) (2015), entered in the Unified Criminal Docket (Penobscot County, Lucy, J.”
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 17-A, § 256(l)(B): 1 case
Hamilton v. State of Maine, No. AROcr-21-40597 (Me. Super. Ct Oct. 10, 2022).
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