Posted on 03/28/2011 8:12:20 PM PDT by TheDingoAteMyBaby
Should children who snap racy photos on their cellphones and send them out to their friends be punished as child-pornography distributors or sex offenders? No, a Florida Senate panel said Monday. At least, not the first time they get caught.
For the second consecutive year, the state Legislature has taken on “sexting,” the practice of sending sexually explicit text messages, photos or videos, usually via cellphone.
A bill that has cleared two committees in the Senate and one in the House of Representatives would decriminalize sexting as a first offense for children who are under age. A similar measure passed unanimously in that chamber last year, but stalled in the House.
“It’s an issue we need to address with our young people and our parents and our schools,” Sen. Charlie Dean, an Inverness Republican and the bill’s sponsor, said this month. “These kind of issues get out of hand, so we might as well nip it in the bud and stop it.”
The proposed legislation centers on provocative photos and videos owned and disseminated not only via cellphones but also through any “electronic data transmission,” which would include computers.
The first sexting violation for a minor would be punishable by a $60 fine or eight hours of community service, with escalating charges and penalties for each additional offense. Children could still be prosecuted for other offenses that could be linked to sexting, such as stalking. And the more forgiving rules would not apply to adults.
(Excerpt) Read more at miamiherald.com ...
It’s the first ‘bill’ I’ve heard of, in a while, that makes any rational sense.
I agree. While of course it’s a big problem and something serious for parents to hopefully get ahead of... placing this sort of thing in the same place as kiddie porn simply does NOT help.
One of the posters on the Herald comment site wrote that pedophiles will start using teens to get these pictures for them. I could see that happening.
This is not kiddie porn, but who really thinks the policing of this can be left to parents, as if all parents are responsible and teach their kids good values.
This falls in the “invasion of privacy” category of offenses. What’s done to peeping Toms? Surreptitiously taking a revealing photo or video of someone, then distributing it is not just kids playing practical jokes on each other. There should be some legal punishments such as fines and community service, and worse for additional offenses.
There is something rather odd and counterproductive about giving a 16-year old girl a felony conviction, and a lifelong registration on the sex offenders list, to “protect” her from “exploiting” herself in this manner.
You’re right, but then what is the correct description of someone sexually attracted to 13-year-olds?
You must have had an interesting childhood.
:)
I agree. I think the services will even send you the text logs on a regular basis. Who knows why parents just let their kids run amok?
What about camera phone use in locker rooms and other school or pool dressing rooms where there should be a presumed right of privacy?
What about minors (say, teens) who take pics of others in locker rooms or dressing rooms who are unaware that they are being photographed, and their pics are distributed to other cell phones?
That’s true...but unfortunately many parents actually find nothing wrong with that.
Quite frankly, teens should not even have these kinds of ‘phones’ - just ones that allow for making and receiving telephone calls. That’s it. If parents were doing their jobs that would be it.
Rational sense to criminalize stupid childhood indiscretions?
On what planet?
Send the kid to the woodshed? Yes? To jail? No.
I don't know what planet you are on , but from what I read, the bill is to KEEP from criminalizing a stupid childhood indiscretion. It gives the parents a chance to take the kid to the woodshed instead of jail.
Did you just read my comment wrong, or did you read the whole article wrong?
Or is it me?
I misread some comment by somebody.
Well, you’re not the first that’s happened to.
Welcome to the club.
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