Groups challenge expanded Mass. obscenity law

By DENISE LAVOIE

BOSTON

A coalition of booksellers and Internet content providers will ask a judge to stop Massachusetts from enforcing an expansion of state obscenity law to include electronic communications that may be harmful to minors.

The content providers say recent changes to state law amount to "broad censorship" that effectively bans from the Internet anything that may be considered "harmful to minors," including material adults have the right to view.

Supporters say the new law closes a loophole. The state's highest court had overturned the conviction of a man accused of sending sexually explicit instant messages to someone he believed was a 13-year-old girl.

A federal judge will hear arguments Tuesday afternoon.