Missouri attorney general issues guidance on protecting children from online exploitation

JEFFERSON CITY — Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway has issued new guidance outlining legal remedies and removal steps for parents if explicit or manipulated images of their children are shared online. Under Chapter 573 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri, it is a felony offense to share, threaten to share, or possess sexually explicit depictions of minors—a prohibition that explicitly encompasses artificial intelligence and computer-generated deepfake imagery. State officials urged parents to take immediate action to preserve evidence, notify law enforcement, and halt the spread of harmful material if they discover an explicit image involving their child. “Child exploitation in any form is unacceptable. As a mother, I can’t imagine anything more horrifying than kids being victimized,” Hanaway said. “We supported the Take It Down Act because parents need real tools to remove harmful content and protect their children.

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