18 USC § 2252C - Misleading words or digital images on the Internet

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t18/s2252C"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "18 USC § 2252C - Misleading words or digital images on the Internet"
title_number: 18
title_name: "CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE"
section_number: "2252C"
section_name: "Misleading words or digital images on the Internet"
chapter_number: 110
chapter_name: "SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND OTHER ABUSE OF CHILDREN"
part_number: "I"
part_name: "CRIMES"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-21"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Added Pub. L. 109–248, title VII, § 703(a), July 27, 2006, 120 Stat. 648.)"
---


# § 2252C. Misleading words or digital images on the Internet

**(a)** **In General.—** Whoever knowingly embeds words or digital images into the source code of a website with the intent to deceive a person into viewing material constituting obscenity shall be fined under this title and imprisoned for not more than 10 years.

**(b)** **Minors.—** Whoever knowingly embeds words or digital images into the source code of a website with the intent to deceive a minor into viewing material harmful to minors on the Internet shall be fined under this title and imprisoned for not more than 20 years.

**(c)** **Construction.—** For the purposes of this section, a word or digital image that clearly indicates the sexual content of the site, such as “sex” or “porn”, is not misleading.

**(d)** **Definitions.—** As used in this section—

**(1)** the terms “material that is harmful to minors” and “sex” have the meaning given such terms in section 2252B; and

**(2)** the term “source code” means the combination of text and other characters comprising the content, both viewable and nonviewable, of a web page, including any website publishing language, programming language, protocol or functional content, as well as any successor languages or protocols.

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**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 109–248, title VII, § 703(a), July 27, 2006, 120 Stat. 648.)