State Codes and Statutes

Statutes > Connecticut > Title53a > Chap952 > Sec53a-186

      Sec. 53a-186. Public indecency: Class B misdemeanor. (a) A person is guilty of public indecency when he performs any of the following acts in a public place: (1) An act of sexual intercourse as defined in subdivision (2) of section 53a-65; or (2) a lewd exposure of the body with intent to arouse or to satisfy the sexual desire of the person; or (3) a lewd fondling or caress of the body of another person. For the purposes of this section, "public place" means any place where the conduct may reasonably be expected to be viewed by others.

      (b) Public indecency is a class B misdemeanor.

      (1969, P.A. 828, S. 188; 1971, P.A. 871, S. 46; P.A. 76-336, S. 22; P.A. 92-260, S. 72.)

      History: 1971 act substituted "A person" for "Any person" for consistency with other statutes; P.A. 76-336 specified sexual intercourse as defined in Sec. 53a-65 and deleted reference to acts of deviate sexual conduct in Subsec. (a) for conformity with changes enacted re sex offenses; P.A. 92-260 made technical changes in Subsec. (a) by repositioning and rephrasing language.

      Annotations to former section 53-220:

      Cited. 37 CA 534.

      Cited. 7 CS 265. Cited. 23 CS 177.

      Word "wantonly" implies turpitude, and that the act done was of wilful and wicked purpose. 2 Conn. Cir. Ct. 443. Criminal intent is essential ingredient of offense. Id., 452. Offense is not against observer merely, but against the state. Id. Cited. Id., 596. Cited. 3 Conn. Cir. Ct. 480. Review of cases concerned with crime of indecent exposure. Id., 657. Lewd and offensive conduct not fairly within ambit of statute in absence of proof of actual exposure. 4 Conn. Cir. Ct. 530, 532, 533. Offense does not depend upon number present at exposure. 5 Conn. Cir. Ct. 202.

      Annotations to present section:

      Cited. 18 CA 482. Cited. 29 CA 591. Cited. 37 CA 534.

      Cited. 38 CS 661.

      Subsec. (a):

      Cited. 38 CS 313.