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 Mississippi, indecent exposure is addressed under Mississippi Code Section 97-29-31. The law defines the crime of indecent exposure as willfully and indecently exposing one's person in any public place, or in view of any public place, where others are present. This includes exposure of the genitals, anus, buttocks, or female breasts. The statute specifies that the exposure must be likely to offend others who are present. It is important to note that Mississippi law requires the exposure to be intentional, meaning that accidental exposure does not typically constitute a crime under this statute. Conviction for indecent exposure in Mississippi can result in fines, imprisonment, or both, and the severity of the penalties may vary depending on the circumstances of the offense and the presence of any prior convictions for similar offenses.