13 V.S.A. § 2827: Possession of child sexual abuse material

(a) No person shall, with knowledge of the character and content, possess or knowingly access with intent to view any photograph, film, or visual depiction, including any depiction that is stored electronically, of sexual conduct by, with, or on a child or of a clearly lewd exhibition of a child’s genitals or anus.

(b) This section shall not apply:

(1) if the depiction was possessed for a bona fide medical, psychological, social work, legislative, judicial, or law enforcement purpose, by a physician, psychologist, social worker, legislator, judge, prosecutor, law enforcement officer, or other person having such a bona fide interest in the subject matter;

(2) if the person was a bona fide school, museum, or public library, or was a person acting in the course of employment as an employee or official of such an organization or of a retail outlet affiliated with and serving the educational or intended purpose of that school, museum, or library; or

(3) to paintings, drawings, or nonvisual or written descriptions of sexual conduct.

(c) In any prosecution arising under this section, the defendant may raise any of the following affirmative defenses, which shall be proven by a preponderance of the evidence:

(1) that the defendant in good faith had a reasonable basis to conclude that the child in fact had attained 16 years of age when the depiction was made; or

(2) that the defendant in good faith took reasonable steps, whether successful or not, to destroy or eliminate the depiction.