ARS 13-3551: Definitions
The complete text of A.R.S. § 13-3551 on definitions, and how this section is used in Arizona criminal cases. It defines terms and procedure rather than creating an offense.
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Full Text of A.R.S. § 13-3551
A.R.S. § 13-3551 is the Arizona statute on definitions. It defines terms used throughout the criminal code, so no offense class or sentence attaches to this section on its own.
In this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:
1. “Advertising” or “advertisement” means any message in any medium that offers or solicits any person to engage in sexual conduct in this state.
2. “Communication service provider” has the same meaning prescribed in section 13-3001.
3. “Computer” has the same meaning prescribed in section 13-2301, subsection E.
4. “Computer system” has the same meaning prescribed in section 13-2301, subsection E.
5. “Exploitive exhibition” means the actual or simulated exhibition of the genitals or pubic or rectal areas of any person for the purpose of sexual stimulation of the viewer.
6. “Indistinguishable” means a visual depiction such that a person viewing the depiction would reasonably conclude that the depiction is of an actual minor.
7. “Minor”:
(a) Means a person or persons who were under eighteen years of age at the time a visual depiction was created, adapted or modified.
(b) Includes a visual depiction that is indistinguishable from an actual minor.
8. “Network” has the same meaning prescribed in section 13-2301, subsection E.
9. “Producing” means financing, directing, manufacturing, issuing, publishing or advertising for pecuniary gain.
10. “Remote computing service” has the same meaning prescribed in section 13-3001.
11. “Sexual conduct” means actual or simulated:
(a) Sexual intercourse, including genital-genital, oral-genital, anal-genital or oral-anal, whether between persons of the same or opposite sex.
(b) Penetration of the vagina or rectum by any object except when done as part of a recognized medical procedure.
(c) Sexual bestiality.
(d) Masturbation, for the purpose of sexual stimulation of the viewer.
(e) Sadomasochistic abuse for the purpose of sexual stimulation of the viewer.
(f) Defecation or urination for the purpose of sexual stimulation of the viewer.
12. “Simulated” means any depicting of the genitals or rectal areas that gives the appearance of sexual conduct or incipient sexual conduct.
13. “Visual depiction” includes each visual image that is contained in an undeveloped film, videotape or photograph or data stored in any form, regardless of whether the image is created or modified by means of computer software, artificial intelligence or other digital editing tools, and that is capable of conversion into a visual image.
Source: Arizona Revised Statutes § 13-3551, Arizona Legislative Council revision of 09/19/25. Read the official text on azleg.gov. Statutes change; verify the current version before relying on it.
Related Guides From Our Team
Written by our defense team on how these cases run in Arizona courts.
- Is Sexual Exploitation a Felony in Arizona?
- Sexual Exploitation Charge: How Do Digital Forensic Experts Help?
Related Statutes in Chapter 35.1 — Sexual Exploitation Of Children
- A.R.S. § 13-3552 — Commercial sexual exploitation of a minor
- A.R.S. § 13-3553 — Sexual exploitation of a minor
- A.R.S. § 13-3554 — Luring a minor for sexual exploitation
- A.R.S. § 13-3555 — Portraying adult as minor
- A.R.S. § 13-3558 — Admitting minors to public displays of sexual conduct
- A.R.S. § 13-3560 — Aggravated luring a minor for sexual exploitation
- A.R.S. § 13-3561 — Unlawful age misrepresentation
How § 13-3551 Affects an Arizona Case
§ 13-3551 usually matters because of how it interacts with the charge someone is actually facing. We read it alongside the charging statute, because a definition or a procedural rule frequently decides what the State must prove, what a judge may impose, or what relief is available afterward.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is A.R.S. § 13-3551?
A.R.S. § 13-3551 is the Arizona statute on definitions. It sets out rules that apply across Arizona criminal cases rather than defining a single offense.
Where can I read the official text of § 13-3551?
The Arizona Legislature publishes it at azleg.gov, in the revision dated 09/19/25. The complete text is reproduced on this page, and every Arizona criminal statute is searchable on our Arizona Criminal Code index.
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