Sexting—More Serious Than You Think

Sending a nude or sexually suggestive picture through text message or e-mail may seem like innocent fun, but the situation can escalate into criminal charges when an image or photo is passed around.

Sexting, the crime of sending nude or sexual photos through text message or e-mail, is a growing problem, especially among teenagers. Teens are now sending nude pictures of themselves to their boyfriends or girlfriends, then, after they breakup, the picture gets forwarded to friends and throughout the school.

While this may seem like nothing more than immature high school or middle school behavior, judges and law enforcement officials do not take it so lightly. In some states, prosecutors are charging teens who “sext” with child pornography, a crime that carries a prison sentence and mandatory registration as a sex offender upon conviction. Because the person in the picture is under the age of 18, passing around a naked or sexually suggestive picture is considered dissemination of child pornography, and the prosecution doesn’t care if the person responsible for passing around the picture is a minor themselves.

More and more states are recognizing this problem, and are enacting laws to make sexting an actual crime. Something legislators have to consider is whether it’s appropriate to charge a minor with child pornography, a felony offense that will haunt them for the rest of their life, or charge the crime as a misdemeanor. In Arizona, for example, the state senate is currently considering a bill that would make it a misdemeanor offense for a minor to “sext.”  The purpose is to hold the minor accountable for their actions without ruining their future.

If your child has been charged with sexting or worse, child pornography, it’s important to speak with an attorney who has experience in sex crimes defense. The last your child needs is to have a criminal conviction hanging over their heads and compromising their future.

Click here to contact a sex crimes defense lawyer today!