A person commits the crime of indecent exposure by exposing the person’s body or private parts (usually genitals, anus, buttocks, or female breasts) in a public place and in the presence of another person who might be offended, alarmed, or annoyed. Laws vary from state to state—including definitions of exposed body parts—and some states require the exposure to have been made with the intent to attract attention or to sexually gratify the person making the indecent exposure, or to sexually gratify another person, or to offend another person.

Indecent exposure laws are generally located in a state’s statutes—often in the penal or criminal code.

In Maine, indecent exposure is addressed under the state's criminal statutes. Specifically, Maine law defines indecent exposure as intentionally exposing the genitals when the person knows or should know that such conduct is likely to cause affront or alarm. This is outlined in Title 17-A, Chapter 35 of the Maine Criminal Code, which deals with public indecency. The law in Maine does not typically include exposure of the buttocks or female breasts under indecent exposure, unless it is done in a manner that is likely to cause affront or alarm. The intent behind the exposure is a key element of the crime, and the exposure must be in a public place or within public view. Penalties for indecent exposure in Maine can include fines, imprisonment, or both, depending on the severity of the offense and the presence of any aggravating factors.