Wyoming's HB 102 Makes AI Deepfake Sexual Abuse and AI-Generated Child Exploitation a Felony, Effective July 1, 2026
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Wyoming's HB 102 Makes AI Deepfake Sexual Abuse and AI-Generated Child Exploitation a Felony, Effective July 1, 2026
Wyoming's House Bill 102 took effect July 1, 2026, creating three new felonies that target nonconsensual AI "deepfake" sexual imagery, artificial-intelligence systems built to generate child sexual abuse material, and AI systems designed to promote self-harm. Governor Mark Gordon signed the measure, enrolled as House Enrolled Act No. 32.
Information last verified on July 9, 2026. This is a developing story; we update it as the record changes.
Jurisdiction scope: This article addresses Wyoming criminal law under House Bill 102 and related Title 6 offenses. It does not address civil claims or the laws of other states. For how other states treat AI-generated imagery, see our deepfake and AI voice cloning laws by state.
What Happened
The Wyoming Legislature passed House Bill 102, titled "Protecting Kids from Deepfakes and Exploitative Images," during the 2026 budget session, and Governor Mark Gordon signed it into law as House Enrolled Act No. 32. The act took effect July 1, 2026. Representative Jayme Lien of Casper was a lead sponsor, joined by additional House and Senate members.
HB 102 creates three new crimes. The first is the unlawful distribution of nonconsensual synthetic sexual material, codified at a new Wyo. Stat. 6-4-307. The second is the unlawful development or distribution of an artificial-intelligence system intended to produce child sexual abuse material. The third is the unlawful development or distribution of an artificial-intelligence system intended to promote self-harm. Each new offense is a felony; reporting on the enacted bill describes penalties reaching up to 12 years in prison and fines up to $10,000, depending on the offense.
"Synthetic sexual material" refers to sexually explicit images or video that appear to depict a real, identifiable person but were generated or altered by artificial intelligence, commonly called deepfakes. By reaching the developers and distributors of AI systems built to produce child sexual abuse material, and not only the finished images, the statute targets the tools as well as the output.
What the Law Actually Says
Before HB 102, Wyoming already prohibited the nonconsensual disclosure of intimate images under Wyo. Stat. 6-4-306, a statute that on its face reaches computer-generated depictions. That older provision is a misdemeanor. HB 102 adds a felony tier aimed specifically at AI-generated sexual material and at the AI systems used to create exploitative content involving children.
The new law fits a national wave of state legislation responding to generative AI. Wyoming had not previously enacted an election-deepfake statute, and it still has no dedicated voice-cloning or digital-likeness right comparable to Tennessee's ELVIS Act. HB 102 is narrower and criminal: it focuses on sexual imagery and child exploitation rather than political or commercial uses of synthetic media.
The state measure also sits alongside a federal law. The TAKE IT DOWN Act, signed in May 2025, criminalizes publishing nonconsensual intimate images, including AI-generated ones, and requires covered online platforms to remove such material within 48 hours of a valid request. Wyoming residents may therefore have both a state criminal complaint and a federal takedown route available for the same conduct. For the broader picture, see our guide to deepfake laws across the states and our overview of Wyoming's approach to artificial intelligence.
Analysis: Why This Matters
The following is analysis from the Recording Law Editorial Team. HB 102's notable feature is that it reaches the AI systems themselves, not just the resulting images. Many earlier state deepfake laws punish the person who creates or shares a specific nonconsensual image. By adding offenses for developing or distributing an AI system intended to produce child sexual abuse material, Wyoming's statute is written to reach further up the supply chain, toward the tools designed for that purpose.
That drafting choice raises questions about intent and scope that courts elsewhere have already confronted in synthetic-media cases: how prosecutors will prove that a system was intended to produce unlawful content, and how the law interacts with First Amendment limits that have complicated some other states' AI statutes. Those questions will be worked out as charges are brought. What is settled as of July 1, 2026 is that the conduct is now a felony in Wyoming rather than a lesser offense or no offense at all. For a sense of how detailed the state framework has become, our Wyoming deepfake law overview tracks the specific statutes now in force.
How This Affects You
If you live in Wyoming, creating or sharing AI-generated sexual images of a real person without consent can now be charged as a felony rather than treated only under the older misdemeanor image statute. People targeted by nonconsensual deepfakes generally have more than one avenue: a state criminal complaint under the new law and, separately, a federal takedown request to the platform hosting the material. Because the statute is new, how prosecutors apply it will develop over time, and anyone facing a specific situation should consult a lawyer licensed in Wyoming.
This is general legal information, not legal advice. It covers Wyoming and reflects sources verified on July 9, 2026. Laws change and this story is developing; consult a lawyer licensed in your jurisdiction about your specific situation.
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Last updated: 2026-07-09. This is a developing story; details verified as of 2026-07-09.
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Frequently Asked Questions
When did Wyoming's HB 102 deepfake law take effect?
House Bill 102 took effect July 1, 2026, after Governor Mark Gordon signed it as House Enrolled Act No. 32 during the 2026 legislative session.
What does Wyoming HB 102 make illegal?
It creates three new felonies: distributing nonconsensual AI-generated (synthetic) sexual material; developing or distributing an AI system intended to produce child sexual abuse material; and developing or distributing an AI system intended to promote self-harm.
What are the penalties under HB 102?
The new offenses are felonies; reporting on the enacted bill describes penalties reaching up to 12 years in prison and fines up to $10,000, depending on the offense. Wyoming's earlier nonconsensual-intimate-image statute, Wyo. Stat. 6-4-306, remains a misdemeanor.
Does Wyoming law already cover deepfake nude images?
In part. Wyo. Stat. 6-4-306 already prohibited nonconsensual disclosure of intimate images, including computer-generated depictions, as a misdemeanor. HB 102 adds a felony tier specifically for AI-generated sexual material and exploitative AI systems.
Is there a federal law about nonconsensual deepfakes too?
Yes. The federal TAKE IT DOWN Act, signed in May 2025, criminalizes nonconsensual intimate images, including AI-generated ones, and requires covered platforms to remove them within 48 hours of a valid request.
Who sponsored Wyoming HB 102?
Representative Jayme Lien of Casper was a lead sponsor of House Bill 102, joined by additional House and Senate members, and it passed both chambers in the 2026 budget session.
Updates
Independently fact-checked against the cited primary sources
The Law Behind This Article
This article rests on the statutory provisions below, held in our own legal record and retrieved from the official source. Tap a section to read the operative text.
Wyoming Statutes, Title 6 - Crimes and Offenses - Chapter 4: Offenses Against Morals, Decency and Family - Article 3: Obscenity
§ 6-4-306Unlawful dissemination of intimate images; definitions; penalties; exemptions from liability.In forcecited in 6 of our articles
(a) As used in this section: (i) "Displaying sexual acts" means displaying an image of sexual acts regardless of whether a person's intimate parts are visible in the image; (ii) "Disseminate" means to sell, distribute, deliver, provide, exhibit, post on social media or otherwise make available to a third party, but shall not include displaying an intimate image in private to the person depicted in the image; (iii) "Image" means a photograph, film, videotape, recording, digital file or any other recording, including a computer generated image that purports to represent an identifiable person; (iv) "Intimate image" means an image of a person's intimate parts or of a person engaging in sexual acts when the person depicted is identifiable from the image itself or from information displayed with or otherwise connected to the image; (v) "Intimate parts" means the external genitalia, perineum, anus or pubic area of any person or the breast of a female person; (vi) "Sexual acts" means sexual intercourse, cunnilingus, fellatio, analingus, anal intercourse or any intrusion, however slight, by any object or any part of a person's body into the genital or anal opening of another…
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-07-30 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at wyoleg.gov
Cited in 1 court opinions in our collectionLatest citing opinion in our collection: 1997
Opinions citing this section in our collection:
- Hamill v. State (Wyoming Supreme Court 1997, 948 P.2d 1356)“…ingle consolidated sentence for multiple sex offenses under Wyo. Stat. § 6-4-306(b) and (c) (Rpl.1977) was inappropriate…”
Identified automatically from the court opinions citing this section — not a ranking of which case controls.
Also relied on in: Wyoming Deepfake Laws: AI Images, Voice Cloning & Penalties (2026), Wyoming Pornography Laws (2026): AV Law Explained, Wyoming Sexting Laws: Legal Consequences and Penalties
§ 6-4-307Unlawful distribution of nonconsensual synthetic sexual material.In forcecited in 7 of our articles
(a) A person commits the offense of unlawful distribution of nonconsensual synthetic sexual material if: (i) The person: (A) Knowingly, distributes, transmits or otherwise makes available synthetic sexual material that realistically depicts another identifiable person without that person's knowledge or consent; (B) At the time of the distribution or transmission, knows that the synthetic sexual material was created or altered without the knowledge or consent of the depicted person and under circumstances in which the depicted person had a reasonable expectation of privacy; and (C) The distribution of the synthetic sexual material causes harm to the depicted person or is intended to cause harm to the depicted person.
Official text (excerpt) · last checked 2026-08-30 · Read the full text in our law library · Verify at wyoleg.gov
Also relied on in: Wyoming AI Laws and Regulation (2026), Wyoming Recording Laws (2026): One-Party Consent Rules, Wyoming Data Privacy Laws: Breach Notification & Consumer Rights (2026)
Search our full record of US law — 2.1 million sections, every state + federal →
Sources and References
- Wyoming House Bill 102 (HB0102), 2026 Session bill text, Wyoming Legislature(wyoleg.gov).gov
- Ballotpedia: AI deepfake policy in Wyoming (HB 102 summary and status)(ballotpedia.org)
- Cody Enterprise: Senate, House pass bills to protect kids from AI, internet crimes(codyenterprise.com)
- Wyoming Tribune Eagle: Senate, House pass bills to protect children from AI, internet crimes(wyomingnews.com)