LexLint

Know the law your code answers to.

Law / United States / Maryland

Computer-Generated Child Sexual Abuse Material

Md. Code Ann., Crim. Law §11-208

A citation is an address, not a summary. The first part names the law; what follows narrows it to the exact section, article or paragraph.

What follows is LexLint's own research summary of this law, not legal advice.

In force.

An AI prohibited practices rule binding public and private bodies.

As of 6 September 2026.

What it requires

  • Do not knowingly possess and intentionally retain, or knowingly and intentionally access and view, a visual representation, including a computer-generated image indistinguishable from an actual and identifiable child under 16, that shows the child in sadomasochistic abuse, sexual conduct, or a state of sexual excitement.
  • A first violation is a misdemeanor; a second or later violation is a felony.
  • It is an affirmative defense that the person promptly and in good faith took reasonable steps to destroy the image or reported it to a law enforcement agency.

If you get it wrong

Criminal exposureYes

Criminal exposure note

First violation is a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment not exceeding 5 years or a fine not exceeding $2,500, or both; a second or subsequent violation is a felony punishable by imprisonment not exceeding 10 years or a fine not exceeding $10,000, or both.

What it makes you log

Logging duty

Section 11-208 defines a computer-generated image indistinguishable from an actual child and states the elements of the possession and viewing offenses. It imposes no duty to log, record, or otherwise document anything, and its only record-adjacent provision is an affirmative defense for a person who destroys the material or reports it to law enforcement, which describes an option available to a defendant rather than a duty.

Kind
None
As of
21 September 2026

Who checks it

Audit expectation

none

What this law does

Drafted with AI from the cited sources under the direction of UnGovr staff. UnGovr holds editorial responsibility for this page.

Maryland's child pornography statute defines an image indistinguishable from an actual and identifiable child to include a computer-generated image created, adapted, or modified to appear as an actual and identifiable child, reaching AI-generated child sexual abuse material on the same terms as a real photograph.

A person may not knowingly possess and retain, or knowingly access and view, such a visual representation of a child under 16 engaged in sadomasochistic abuse, sexual conduct, or a state of sexual excitement. A first violation is a misdemeanor and a second or later violation is a felony.

When LexLint raises it

  • generates_content
  • publishes_adult_content

Read the law

official codified text, Maryland General Assembly

Every line above is drawn from the primary source linked here, read on the date shown. This is a research summary, not legal advice.

Back to the example  ·  Lint your app