Teen sexters labeled as sex offenders


Sex, morality, teenagers, and cell phones
There are a few sure signs that a law is out of control.

One such sign is when the victims are turned into criminals.

Though youth is fleeting, images sent on a cell phone or posted online may not be, especially if they're naughty. Teenagers' habit of distributing nude self-portraits electronically - often called "sexting" if it's done by cell phone - has parents and school administrators worried.

Some prosecutors have begun charging teens who send and receive such images with child pornography and other serious felonies. But is that the best way to handle it?

"Hopefully we'll get the message out to these kids," says Michael McAlexander, a prosecutor in Allen County, Ind., which includes Fort Wayne.

A teenage boy there is facing felony obscenity charges for allegedly sending a photo of his private parts to several female classmates. Another boy was recently charged with child pornography in a similar case.

In some cases, the photos are sent to harass other teens or to get attention. Other times, they're viewed as a high-tech way to flirt. Either way, law enforcement officials want it to stop, even if it means threatening to add "sex offender" to a juvenile's confidential record.

"We don't want to throw these kids in jail," McAlexander says. "But we want them to think."

Obviously I can't say that in these cases, nudity doesn't equal sex. In these teen's minds, it did. Which says a LOT about our screwed up priorities, but that's another subject.

But (and believe me it's a big but)…

Is it child pornography if the teen decided to do it themselves?

Just who is the law protecting?

Remember that teens can't help but think about sex. It's hardwired into the biology. Shaming them isn't going to change that.

Charging them with sex crimes isn't going to change that.

Labeling them as a sex offender is just going to mess up their lives.

Is the law really "protecting the children" here?

— NeoWayland

Posted: Wed - February 11, 2009 at 02:18 PM  Tag


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