Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-73
§1470 Transfer of obscene material to minors
Title 18 › Part PART I— - CRIMES › Chapter CHAPTER 71— - OBSCENITY › § 1470
Summary
It makes it a crime to knowingly send or try to send obscene material by mail or any way that crosses state or national lines to someone you know is under 16. The punishment can be a federal fine, up to 10 years in prison, or both.
Full Legal Text
Title 18, §1470
Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Whoever, using the mail or any facility or means of interstate or foreign commerce, knowingly transfers obscene matter to another individual who has not attained the age of 16 years, knowing that such other individual has not attained the age of 16 years, or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Study on Limiting Availability of Pornography on Internet Pub. L. 105–314, title IX, § 901, Oct. 30, 1998, 112 Stat. 2991, provided for a study of computer-based technologies and other approaches to the problem of the availability of pornographic material to children on the Internet, in order to develop possible
Amendments
to Federal criminal law and other law
Enforcement
techniques to respond to the problem, and directed the Attorney General to submit to Congress a final report of the study not later than 2 years after Oct. 30, 1998.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
18 U.S.C. § 1470
Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73