Teens face child porn charges

[Anakin Flair 0]

Got this off of MSNBC.com:

 

‘Sexting’ surprise: Teens face child porn charges

6 Pa. high school students busted after sharing nude photos via cell phones

 

In an unusual legal case arising from the increasingly popular practice known as “sexting,” six Pennsylvania high school students are facing child pornography charges after three teenage girls allegedly took nude or semi-nude photos of themselves and shared them with male classmates via their cell phones.

 

The female students at Greensburg Salem High School in Greensburg, Pa., all 14- or 15-years-old, face charges of manufacturing, disseminating or possessing child pornography while the boys, who are 16 and 17, face charges of possession, according to WPXI-TV in Pittsburgh, which published the story on its Web site on Tuesday.

 

Police told the station that the photos were discovered in October, after school officials seized a cell phone from a male student who was using it in violation of school rules and found a nude photo of a classmate on it. Police were called in and their investigation led them to other phones containing more photos, it said.

 

Police Capt. George Seranko was quoted as saying that the first photograph was “a self portrait taken of a juvenile female taking pictures of her body, nude."

 

The school district issued a statement Tuesday saying that the investigation turned up “no evidence of inappropriate activity on school grounds … other than the violation of the electronic devices policy.” The statement also said that school officials didn’t learn of the charges against the students until Monday.

 

In the WPXI story, which included contributions from the Associated Press, Saranko indicated that authorities decided to file the child pornography charges to send a strong message to other minors who might consider sending such photos to friends.

 

"It's very dangerous," he said. "Once it's on a cell phone, that cell phone can be put on the Internet where everyone in the world can get access to that juvenile picture. You don't realize what you are doing until it's already done." (Seranko could not be reached for comment on Thursday, and a woman who answered the phone at the Greensburg Police Department said, “Our department is not doing any more interviews on the case.”)

 

But Patrick Artur, a Philadelphia defense attorney who by his reckoning has handled at least 80 child pornography cases, said the prosecution of minors for photos they took themselves runs counter to the purpose of both state and federal child pornography laws: Preventing the sexual abuse of children by “dirty old men in raincoats.”

 

“It’s clearly overkill,” he said. “… The letter of the law seems to have been violated, but this is not the type of defendant that the legislature envisioned” in passing the statute.

 

Artur said that because there is no mandatory minimum sentence under Pennsylvania’s child pornography law, unlike the federal statute, the students would not necessarily be incarcerated if they are found guilty. But he noted that convictions would have "serious, serious implications," including forcing them having to register as sexual offenders for at least 10 years.

 

While Artur said the prosecution of a juvenile for allegedly creating and distributing child porn was new to him, a quick review of federal and state statistics showed there have been a handful of similar cases, and several convictions.

 

While few minors have found themselves in court for e-mailing or posting sexy photos of themselves, there is little doubt that ubiquitous cell phones and easy access to computers have tempted many to push the erotic envelope.

 

The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy reported last month that a survey of 1,280 teens and young adults found that 20 percent of the teens said they had sent or posted nude or semi nude photos or videos of themselves. That number was slightly higher for teenage girls — 22 percent — vs. boys — 18 percent.

 

This is freaking ridiculous. Why would they prosecute these kids- it's not like the girls were tricked into it or were under durress. Seriously- girls take all kinds of racy (sometimes nude) photos of themselves all the time and pass thenm around to their friends. Hell, years ago I got a pic of a friend in her bra and panties. FI anything, they should get a detention or ISS for a few days and a stern talking to, not a permament mark on their records.

[At Home 0]

............shit

[Chazz 0]

My former high school. Awesome.

[Mike wanna be 0]

Yeah, looks like those laws need updating, or else every spurned high school broad is going to set up the ex-boyfriend for Sexual Predator 101.

[The Niggardly King 0]

that's bullshit. these kids are gonna have to be labeled for life because some young attention seeking cunts just wanna have fun. fuck this shit.

[PILLS! PILLS! PILLS! 0]

That's what they get for getting fucked-more-by-teenagers than Pennsylvania lawmakers.

[SuperJerk 0]

Charging someone with distributing child porn for sending pictures of themselves?

 

I suppose if they caught the girls masturbating, they'd charge them with statutory rape?

[Maztinho 0]

There was a case similar to this in a small Utah town, basically it boils down to the laws not catching up to technology. Likely the charges will be dropped/worked down to something minimal.

[MFer 0]

Yeah, there's been a few cases in Michigan over the last year or two.

[Burning Pirate Ship Sex 0]

............shit

 

Have a seat, Parker

 

[Sideburnious 0]

It is bullshit though. If the teens had sex & they're both underage its not considered rape?

 

I know it's to make headlines & grab peoples attention but can this shit really be called "child porn". They're teenage girls. If they were 8 I'd agree. It's not like a 30 year old man grabbed two teen girls, held them against their will and took photos.

[Maztinho 0]

It is bullshit though. If the teens had sex & they're both underage its not considered rape?

 

I know it's to make headlines & grab peoples attention but can this shit really be called "child porn". They're teenage girls. If they were 8 I'd agree. It's not like a 30 year old man grabbed two teen girls, held them against their will and took photos.

 

Again it's a case of the laws not catching up to the technology. Even ten years ago, when I was in high school cell-phones weren't common, camera-phones even less common. I was visiting some relatives over the weekend, and needed to look up another family members number while talking on my phone so I snagged my 16 year old cousins phone. She has over 300 contacts, most of which are friends at school. All of them had a picture attached to their number so she'd see them when they called.

 

When the laws were put into place, the law makers couldn't have thought that one day teens (who have poor judgement skills) would have ready access to cameras, and have the ability to transfer the data so quickly.

 

Legally, it's child porn. It is horrible and disgusting? No, because it's teens being stupid. In all actuality this is likely being used as a shock tactic to bring awareness to teens that sure your friends all think it's funny that you are posing in your skivvies, but your friends Uncle Joe could get ahold of that phone and send himself your pics and then put them on-line for all to see.

 

I know I'm going down a slippery slope, but that's the mindset of some people.