SEXTING AND TEENAGERS

There's a disturbing new trend occurring in criminal law - the prosecution of teenagers for "sexting" - a play on the word "texting" that refers to adolescents sending nude or seminude photos of themselves with cell phones or over the Internet. Overzealous prosecutors are increasingly trying to prosecute "sexting" teens for possessing or distributing child pornography.

While of course this practice should be discouraged - after all, we don't want a momentary lapse in judgment to cloud our children's futures - the prosecution of "sexting" teenagers under child pornography laws clearly oversteps the bounds of the law and violates teens' First Amendment rights.

Several judges have already agreed. However, even involvement in a preliminary investigation can cloud your child's future. That's why it's critical to seek the help of a skilled attorney if your child is involved in a child pornography or "sexting" investigation in any way.

Teenagers charged with child pornography stemming from "sexting" face extremely severe consequences that can include jail or prison and a lifetime of registering as a sex offender.

Charging teens under child pornography statutes twists the original intent of these laws and seeks to punish adolescents for natural curiosity, legal commentator Lisa Bloom said.

"Child porn laws were intended to protect kids from exploitive adults," Bloom said. "We hand new technology to kids without educating them about the consequences of misuse, and what do we expect?"

One Pennsylvania prosecutor threatened teenagers with child pornography charges unless they agreed to attend a five-week sexual harassment program and probation. Fortunately, the teens' lawyers sued the prosecutor, and a judge agreed that the prosecutor's plan violated the teens' rights. However, that ruling may not stop overzealous prosecutors from pursuing child porn charges against "sexting" teens in the future.

Sexting and Child Pornography Attorney

A defense lawyer who is fully versed in child pornography laws and the "sexting" phenomenon will fight to protect the rights and reputation of your child and your family. To learn more about "sexting" and child pornography laws, please contact a knowledgeable defense lawyer today at 1-800-DUI-LAWS for a free consultation.