Now, as the dust begins to settle, journalists and fans are asking if any of Beahm’s “inappropriate” messages, which Conners described as “sexting” in his X post, could possibly be a breach of California state laws. Given Beahm's residency and Twitch's headquarters in California, any misconduct might fall under the jurisdiction of the state's Penal Code statutes. The place has some of the toughest laws in the United States when it comes to protecting minors online or otherwise.
While Beahm has said that his situation was a civil dispute and that no criminal case or charges were ever filed, it would be appropriate to note some of the California statutes that have been put in place to protect children.
The most basic law on the books is CA PC 647.6, which states that annoying or molesting a child under 18 is illegal in the state of California. "Annoy" or "molest" in this instance means the same thing and refers to conduct motivated by a sexual interest in a child that is likely to disturb, irritate, or be observed by a child. This could include sending a minor explicit messages or nude photos online or via phone, or engaging in lewd conversations with them.
PC 288.3 says that every person “who contacts or communicates with a minor, or attempts to contact or communicate with a minor, who knows or reasonably should know that the person is a minor, with intent to commit an offense specified” in various other California PC sections is guilty of a felony.
