A person generally commits the criminal offense of public lewdness or lewd conduct in public if the person knowingly engages in any of the following acts in a public place—or, if not in a public place, the person is reckless about whether another is present who will be offended or alarmed by the person’s (1) act of sexual intercourse; (2) act of deviate sexual intercourse; (3) act of sexual contact with a person’s own private parts or those of another.
Public lewdness laws vary from state to state, and some states define and charge such criminal offenses under indecent exposure laws. Public lewdness is usually a misdemeanor offense, but may be a felony offense under some circumstances. And in some states a conviction for public lewdness may require the defendant to register as a sex offender.
In Nebraska, the criminal offense of public lewdness is generally covered under the state's public indecency laws. According to Nebraska Revised Statute 28-806, a person commits the offense of public indecency if they perform any lewd or obscene act in a public place where such act is likely to be observed by others who would be affronted or alarmed. This includes acts of sexual intercourse, deviate sexual intercourse, or sexual contact in public. Public indecency in Nebraska is considered a Class II misdemeanor. However, if the individual has two or more prior convictions for public indecency, subsequent offenses may be treated as a Class I misdemeanor. It's important to note that while public lewdness is typically a misdemeanor, certain factors, such as the presence of minors, could potentially elevate the severity of the charge. Additionally, while a conviction for public indecency in Nebraska does not automatically require registration as a sex offender, certain circumstances of the offense could potentially lead to such a requirement under the state's sex offender registration laws.