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(a) An owner or manager, or agent or employee of an owner or manager, of a bookstore, newsstand, theater, or other commercial establishment engaged in selling material or exhibiting performances, who, in the course of business does any of the acts prohibited by Section 563.11 is presumed to have knowledge of the character of the material or performance involved if the owner, manager, or agent or employee of the owner or manager has actual notice of the nature of such material or performance, whether or not the owner, manager, or agent or employee of the owner or manager has precise knowledge of its contents.
(b) Without limitation on the manner in which such notice may be given, actual notice of the character of material or a performance may be given in writing by the chief legal officer of the Municipality. Such notice, regardless of the manner in which it is given, shall identify the sender, identify the material or performance involved, state whether it is obscene or harmful to juveniles, and bear the date of such notice.
(c) Section 563.11 does not apply to a motion picture operator or projectionist acting within the scope of employment as an employee of the owner or manager of the theater or other place for the showing of motion pictures to the general public, and having no managerial responsibility or financial interest in the operator’s or projectionist’s place of employment, other than wages.
(d) (1) The provisions of Sections 563.11, 563.115 and 563.14(a)do not apply to a person solely because the person provided access or connection to or from an electronic method of remotely transferring information not under that person's control, including having provided capabilities that are incidental to providing access or connection to or from the electronic method of remotely transferring the information, and that do not include the creation of the content of the material that is the subject of the access or connection.
(3) Division (d)(1) of this section does not apply to a person who provides access or connection to an electronic method of remotely transferring information that is engaged in the violation of Section 563.11, 563.115 or 563.14 and that contain content that person has selected and placed in or on the facility, system, or network or content over which that person exercises editorial control.
(e) An employer is not guilty of a violation of Section 563.11, 563.115 or 563.14 based on the actions of an employee or agent of the employer unless the employee’s or agent’s conduct is within the scope of the employee’s or agent’s employment or agency, and the employer does either of the following:
(1) With knowledge of the employee’s or agent’s conduct, the employer authorizes or ratifies the conduct.
(2) The employer recklessly disregards the employee’s or agent’s conduct.
(f) It is an affirmative defense to a charge under Section 563.11 or 563.115 as the section applies to an image transmitted through the internet or other electronic method of remotely transmitting information that the person charged with violating the section has taken, in good faith, reasonable, effective, and appropriate actions under the circumstances to restrict or prevent access by juveniles to material that is harmful to juveniles, including any method that is feasible under available technology.
(ORC 2907.35)
(a) Without limitation on the persons otherwise entitled to bring an action for a declaratory judgment pursuant to Ohio R.C. Chapter 2721, involving the same issue, the following persons have standing to bring a declaratory judgment action to determine whether particular materials or performances are obscene or harmful to juveniles:
(1) The chief legal officer of the Municipality if and when there is reasonable cause to believe that Ohio R.C. 2907.31 or Ohio R.C. 2907.32, or a substantially equivalent municipal ordinance, is being or is about to be violated;
(2) Any person who, pursuant to Ohio R.C. 2907.35(B) or a substantially equivalent municipal ordinance, has received notice in writing from the chief legal officer stating that particular materials or performances are obscene or harmful to juveniles.
(b) Any party to an action for a declaratory judgment pursuant to division (a) of this section is entitled, upon the party’s request, to trial on the merits within five days after joinder of the issues, and the court shall render judgment within five days after trial is concluded.
(c) An action for a declaratory judgement pursuant to division (a) of this section shall not be brought during the pendency of any civil action or criminal prosecution when the character of the particular materials or performances involved is at issue in the pending case, and either of the following applies:
(1) Either of the parties to the action for a declaratory judgment is a party to the pending case;
(2) A judgment in the pending case will necessarily constitute res judicata as to the character of the materials or performances involved.
(d) A civil action or criminal prosecution in which the character of particular materials or performances is at issue, brought during the pendency of an action for a declaratory judgment involving the same issue, shall be stayed during the pendency of the action for a declaratory judgment.
(e) The fact that a violation of Ohio R.C. 2907.31 or Ohio R.C. 2907.32, or a substantially equivalent municipal ordinance, occurs prior to a judicial determination of the character of the material or performance involved in the violation does not relieve the offender of criminal liability for the violation, even though prosecution may be stayed pending the judicial determination.
(ORC 2907.36)
(a) Where it appears that Ohio R.C. 2907.31 or Ohio R.C. 2907.32, or a substantially equivalent municipal ordinance, is being or is about to be violated, the chief legal officer of the Municipality may bring an action to enjoin the violation. The defendant, upon his or her request, is entitled to trial on the merits within five days after the joinder of the issues, and the court shall render judgment within five days after the trial is concluded.
(b) Premises used or occupied for repeated violations of Ohio R.C. 2907.31 or Ohio R.C. 2907.32, or a substantially equivalent municipal ordinance, constitute a nuisance subject to abatement pursuant to Ohio R.C. Chapter 3767.
(ORC 2907.37)
(a) If an offender is being sentenced for a sexually oriented offense that is a misdemeanor committed on or after January 1, 1997, and if the judge imposing sentence for the sexually oriented offense determines pursuant to Ohio R.C. 2950.09(B) that the offender is a sexual predator, the judge shall include in the offender's sentence a statement that the offender has been adjudicated a sexual predator, shall comply with the requirements of Ohio R.C. 2950.03, and shall require the offender to submit to a DNA specimen collection procedure pursuant to Ohio R.C. 2901.07.
(b) (1) Before imposing sentence on an offender who is being sentenced for a sexually oriented offense that is a misdemeanor, that was committed on or after January 1, 1997, and that is not a registration-exempt sexually oriented offense, the judge shall conduct a hearing in accordance with Ohio R.C. 2950.09(B) to determine whether the offender is a sexual predator. Before imposing sentence on an offender who is being sentenced for a sexually oriented offense that is not a registration-exempt sexually oriented offense, the court also shall comply with Ohio R.C. 2950.09(E).
(2) Before imposing a sentence on or after January 1, 2004, on an offender who is being sentenced for a child-victim oriented offense that is a misdemeanor, regardless of when the offense was committed, the judge shall conduct a hearing in accordance with Ohio R.C. 2950.091(B) to determine whether the offender is a child-victim predator. Before imposing sentence on an offender who is being sentenced for a child-victim offense, the court also shall comply with Ohio R.C. 2950.091(B).
(c) If an offender is being sentenced for a sexually oriented offense that is not a registration-exempt sexually oriented offense or for a child-victim oriented offense that is a misdemeanor committed on or after January 1, 1997, the judge shall include in the sentence a summary of the offender’s duties imposed under Ohio R.C. 2950.04, 2950.041, 2950.05, and 2950.06, and the duration of the duties. The judge shall inform the offender, at the time of sentencing, of those duties and of their duration and, if required under Ohio R.C. 2950.03(A)(2), shall perform the duties specified in that section.
(ORC 2929.23)