You can now be convicted of child molestation for changing your baby's diaper in Arizona

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published 23 September 2016

Bad news for parents in Arizona: The state's Supreme Court has upheld a state law that could result in criminal charges against caregivers who change diapers or bathe children.

The law forbids anyone from touching "any part of the genitals, anus, or female breasts" of children under age 15 and does not require that the contact be sexual in nature, Slate reports. Although its stated intent is to prevent "child molestation" and "sexual abuse," the court majority determined that no exceptions for parents cleansing their own children or other such innocent contact had been outlined in the statute. The court further refused to "rewrite the statutes to require the state to prove sexual motivation, when the statutes clearly contain no such requirement."

The court did say anyone wrongly charged could raise "lack of sexual motivation" as an "affirmative defense," so at least that's something. And if it makes anyone feel any better, some county prosecutors are promising not to press charges on any criminally liable parents.