Colorado legal term
Harmful to children in Colorado Criminal Law
Current through 2026 Colorado legislative session
In Colorado criminal law, “Harmful to children” is a term defined by statute rather than by its everyday meaning. Its statutory definition — quoted verbatim below — controls how the term is applied throughout the Colorado criminal code.
What does “Harmful to children” mean in Colorado criminal law?
"Harmful to children" means that quality of any description or representation, in whatever form, of sexually explicit nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, or sadomasochistic abuse, when it: (a) Taken as a whole, predominantly appeals to the prurient interest in sex of children; (b) Is patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community as a whole with respect to what is suitable material for children; and (c) Is, when taken as a whole, lacking in serious literary, artistic, political, and scientific value for children. (C.R.S. § 18-7-501)
Statutes defining or using this term
Related terms in the same statutes
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.