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 Wisconsin, the criminal offense related to public lewdness is typically categorized under 'lewd and lascivious behavior' as per Wisconsin Statute 944.20. This statute makes it a crime for any person to commit publicly and indecently any act of sexual intercourse or to engage in an indecent exposure of their genitals with the intent to arouse or gratify sexual desire. The law applies to acts in public places or in private places where the person may be readily observed. Lewd and lascivious behavior is considered a Class A misdemeanor in Wisconsin. However, if a person commits such an act in the presence of a child, the offense may be elevated to a felony. Additionally, depending on the circumstances and the nature of the offense, a conviction for lewd and lascivious behavior could potentially lead to the requirement to register as a sex offender under Wisconsin's sex offender registration laws.