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HF 3871

Venue in child sexual abuse material law provided; on-scene preview of digital evidence in child sexual abuse material investigations; possession, sale, creation, dissemination, and purchase of child-like sex dolls prohibited; and defense of duress modified to include victims of trafficking.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Brion Curran and 1 co-sponsor

Minnesota bill prohibits child-like sex dolls, expands duress defense for trafficking victims, and streamlines CSAM investigation procedures including on-scene digital evidence review.

Author added Curran
#children-childabuseandneglect #crimevictims #crimesandcriminals-sexualoffenses #publicsafetydepartment
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HF 3871

Legislative bill overview

HF 3871 is a multi-provision bill addressing child protection through four distinct measures: establishing venue rules for child sexual abuse material (CSAM) prosecutions, allowing law enforcement to preview digital evidence at crime scenes in CSAM investigations, prohibiting the possession and distribution of child-like sex dolls, and expanding the duress defense to include victims of human trafficking.

Why is this important

Child exploitation remains a significant law enforcement challenge, and these provisions aim to address investigative barriers, remove potential gateway materials, and provide legal protections for trafficking victims coerced into criminal activity. The changes could streamline prosecutions, remove ambiguities in jurisdiction, and provide fairer legal treatment for vulnerable populations.

Potential points of contention

  • Child-like sex doll prohibition: Raises free speech and constitutional questions about restricting materials based on form rather than actual harm; debate over whether such items prevent or encourage exploitation
  • Duress defense expansion for trafficking victims: May face concerns about potentially excusing criminal conduct; requires clear definitions of what constitutes sufficient coercion to qualify
  • On-scene digital evidence preview: Privacy advocates may question warrantless or minimally-supervised law enforcement access to digital devices, even for preview purposes

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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