What is the federal statute defining receipt of child sexual abuse material?

1. What the statutes say: the textual baseline

Congress placed “knowingly receives” within the core prohibitions of 18 U.S.C. § 2252, which bars knowingly receiving or distributing visual depictions using any means or facility of interstate or foreign commerce (including computers or the mails) when the images depict minors in sexually explicit conduct ^[1]. Complementing § 2252, 18 U.S.C. § 2252A addresses “material constituting or containing child pornography” and supplies parallel prohibitions targeting receipt, possession, distribution, and related acts with respect to such material ^{[2] [3]}.

2. The required elements prosecutors typically must prove

The operative criminal element shown in the statutory text is knowledge: a defendant must “knowingly” receive or distribute the visual depiction, and the depiction must meet the statutory definition of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor ^[1]. The statutes attach interstate-commerce or mailing jurisdictional hooks — receipt or distribution via interstate commerce, the mails, or by computer is what brings the conduct under federal law ^[1].

3. Definitions and scope — what counts as a “visual depiction” and “sexually explicit conduct”

The statute and associated commentary make clear that “visual depiction” covers photographs, videos, and digital images, and that “sexually explicit conduct” is defined to include conduct such as exhibition of the genitals or pubic area and other enumerated acts; courts have interpreted these definitions broadly in some contexts ^[1]. Sources describe federal law targeting “any visual imagery that depicts children under 18 years old in sexual situations” ^{[4] [5]}.

4. Affirmative defenses, quantity rules, and prosecutorial nuances

Section 2252 contains an affirmative defense in limited circumstances: for possession, Congress added a defense when a defendant possessed “less than three matters containing any visual depiction” and met statutory conditions such as attempting to destroy the materials or promptly notifying law enforcement — an example of statutory nuance that can affect charges and trials ^{[6] [7]}. Separate provisions and sentencing guidelines (and enhancements) in statutes like § 2252A and Sentencing Commission materials further shape penalties ^{[3] [8]}.

5. Parallel and overlapping statutes — why § 2252 and § 2252A both matter

Practitioners and legal summaries routinely cite both § 2252 and § 2252A because they overlap but address somewhat different contexts (§ 2252 focuses on “material involving the sexual exploitation of minors;” § 2252A focuses on “material constituting or containing child pornography”) and together form the primary federal framework criminalizing receipt, possession, distribution, and related conduct ^{[1] [2] [3]}.

6. How courts and commentators describe enforcement and penalties

Legal guides and defense resources emphasize that these provisions are among the strictest in federal law; violations can carry severe penalties and sentencing enhancements ^{[9] [8]}. Practice-oriented sources frame § 2252(a)^[10] as criminalizing transportation or shipment via interstate commerce or computer, and defense materials underscore the importance of the “knowingly” element and jurisdictional hooks in litigation strategy ^{[5] [11]}.

7. Limits of available reporting and what is not covered here

Available sources summarize statutory text, definitions, defenses, and sentencing frameworks, but they do not provide exhaustive case law on every interpretive point or the most recent appellate decisions refining “knowingly” or the border between simulated and actual minors; those specifics are not found in the current reporting supplied here (not found in current reporting). For authoritative, case-specific interpretations, the statute text ^{[1] [2]} should be read alongside controlling circuit decisions and Department of Justice guidance.

8. Practical takeaway for readers

If the legal question is “which federal statute defines receipt of child sexual abuse material,” the clear answer in current federal law is that receipt is prohibited under 18 U.S.C. § 2252 and relatedly under 18 U.S.C. § 2252A; both statutes criminalize knowingly receiving visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct transported by interstate commerce or the mails ^{[1] [2]}. For case-specific advice or to assess defenses or sentencing consequences, consult the statutory text and competent counsel because statutory language, affirmative defenses, and sentencing provisions materially affect outcomes ^{[1] [6] [8]}.