COLUMBUS—Representative Steve Demetriou (R-Bainbridge Township), joined by 22 of his colleagues in the Ohio House, introduced House Bill 295 (HB 295) on Wednesday. Also known as the Innocence Act, HB 295 aims to protect children from the porn industry by requiring Ohioans to provide ID for age verification when accessing obscene websites. The bill also prohibits a person’s image from being used against their will to create sexual content, such as “deepfakes.”

“Parents need to be empowered to protect the innocence of their children,” said Center for Christian Virtue (CCV) Policy Director David Mahan. “This legislation is another vitally important step towards putting the safety of children over the financial aspirations of predatory industries.”

The next step in the legislative process is for the bill to be assigned to a House committee to begin receiving hearings.

You can read the full text of HB 295 and find other information about it here.

You can watch the press conference for the bill’s introduction here. 

As Ohio’s largest Christian public policy organization, Center for Christian Virtue seeks the good of our neighbors by advocating for public policy that reflects the truth of the Gospel.

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