MOSCOW, September 22 (RAPSI) - The Criminal Law Committee recommended that the State Duma adopt a law in the first reading on criminal liability for producing, purchasing or storing child pornography for other than sales purposes.

The amendments were submitted by the St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly for consideration by the State Duma in February 2013. The document imposes criminal liability for the production, purchase, including online purchase, storage, including digital media, or transfer across the Russian border of objects or content with pornographic images of minors with no intent to distribute.

The crime would be punishable by a fine of 200,000 rubles ($5,195), up to 2 years in prison or community service of up to 2 years.

The bill also includes a definition of child pornography.

The State Duma’s relevant committee approved the bill but points out that it still requires some improvements before the second reading.

“The committee highlighted that the definition of content and objects containing child pornography that are suggested by the draft law includes judgmental descriptions and do not meet the requirements of clarity and unambiguity, which may result in misinterpretation and therefore problems with qualifying a crime,” the committee’s review says.