Texas Penal Code on Obscenity

a. In this subchapter:

1. "Obscene" means material or a performance that:

A. the average person, applying contemporary community standards,would find that taken as a whole appeals to the prurient interest insex;

B. depicts or describes:

i. patently offensive representations or descriptions of ultimate sexual acts, normal or perverted, actual or simulated, including sexual intercourse, sodomy, and sexual bestiality; or

ii. patently offensive representations or descriptions of masturbation, excretory functions, sadism, masochism, lewd exhibition of the genitals, the male or female genitals in a state of sexual stimulation or arousal, covered male genitals in a discernibly turgid state or a device designed and marketed as useful primarily for stimulation of the human genital organs; and

C. taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political,and scientific value.

2. "Material" means anything tangible that is capable of being used or adapted to arouse interest, whether through the medium of reading, observation, sound, or in any other manner, but does not include an actual three dimensional obscene device.

3. "Performance" means a play, motion picture, dance, or other exhibition performed before an audience.

4. "Patently offensive" means so offensive on its face as to affront current community standards of decency.

5. "Promote" means to manufacture, issue, sell, give, provide, lend, mail, deliver, transfer, transmit, publish, distribute, circulate, disseminate, present, exhibit, or advertise, or to offer or agree to do the same.

6. "Wholesale promote" means to manufacture, issue, sell, provide, mail, deliver, transfer, transmit, publish, distribute, circulate, disseminate, or to offer or agree to do the same for purpose of resale.

7. "Obscene device" means a device including a dildo or artificial vagina, designed or marketed as useful primarily for the stimulation of human genital organs.

b. If any of the depictions or descriptions of sexual conduct described in this section are declared by a court of competent jurisdiction to be unlawfully included herein, this declaration shall not invalidate this section as to other patently offensive sexual conduct included herein.

Section 43.22. Obscene Display or Distribution

Section 43.23. Obscenity

a. A person commits an offense if, knowing its content and character, he wholesale promotes or possesses with intent to wholesale promote any obscene material or obscene device.

b. An offense under Subsection (a) is a state jail felony.

c. A person commits an offense if, knowing its content and character, he:

1. promotes or possesses with intent to promote any obscene material or obscene device; or

2. produces, presents, or directs an obscene performance or participates in a portion thereof that is obscene or that contributes to its obscenity.

d. An offense under Subsection (c) is a Class A misdemeanor.

e. A person who promotes or wholesale promotes obscene material or an obscene device or possesses the same with intent to promote or wholesale promote it in the course of his business is presumed to do so with knowledge of its content and character.

f. A person who possesses six or more obscene devices or identical or similar obscene articles is presumed to possess them with intent to promote the same.

g. It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under this section that the person who possesses or promotes material or a device proscribed by this section does so for a bona fide medical, psychiatric, judicial, legislative, or law enforcement purpose.

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Title 9, Chapter 43, Subchapter B, Texas Penal Code on Obscenity

Section 43.21. Definitions

Section 43.22. Obscene Display or Distribution

Section 43.23. Obscenity