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(a) No person who has custody, control, or supervision of a commercial establishment, with knowledge of the character or content of the material involved, shall display at the establishment any material that is harmful to juveniles and that is open to view by juveniles as part of the invited general public.
(b) It is not a violation of division (a) of this section if the material in question is displayed by placing it behind blinder racks or similar devices that cover at least the lower two-thirds of the material, if the material in question is wrapped or placed behind the counter, or if the material in question otherwise is covered or located so that the portion that is harmful to juveniles is not open to the view of juveniles.
(c) Whoever violates this section is guilty of displaying matter harmful to juveniles, a misdemeanor of the first degree. Each day during which the offender is in violation of this section constitutes a separate offense.
(ORC 2907.311)
Editor’s note:
Section 666.12 was repealed as part of the 1997 updating and revision of these Codified Ordinances because a violation of substantially equivalent State law (Ohio R.C. 2907.32) was made a felony by the Ohio General Assembly by Am. Sub. S.B. No. 2, effective July 1, 1996.
Editor’s note:
Section 666.13 was repealed as part of the 1997 updating and revision of these Codified Ordinances because a violation of substantially equivalent State law (Ohio R.C. 2907.322 and 2907.323) was made a felony by the Ohio General Assembly by Am. Sub. S.B. No. 2, effective July 1, 1996.
(a) No person, for the purpose of enabling a juvenile to obtain any material or gain admission to any performance which is harmful to juveniles, shall do either of the following:
(1) Falsely represent that he or she is the parent, guardian, or spouse of the juvenile.
(2) Furnish the juvenile with any identification or document purporting to show that the juvenile is 18 years of age or over or married.
(b) No juvenile, for the purpose of obtaining any material or gaining admission to any performance which is harmful to juveniles, shall do either of the following:
(1) Falsely represent that he or she is 18 years of age or over or married.
(2) Exhibit any identification or document purporting to show that he or she is 18 years of age or over or married.
(c) Whoever violates this section is guilty of deception to obtain matter harmful to juveniles, a misdemeanor of the second degree. A juvenile who violates division (b) of this section shall be adjudged an unruly child, with the disposition of the case as may be appropriate under Ohio R.C. Chapter 2151.
(ORC 2907.33)
(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 § 666.11 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 666.11 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 §§ 666.11, 666.115 and 666.13(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 666.11, 666.115 or 666.13 and that contain content that person has selected and introduced into the electronic method of remotely transferring information or content over which that person exercises editorial control.
(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 §§ 666.11 or 666.115 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)
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