As a follow up to my earlier story, I’ve been watching out for any other news about these poor kids who were charged with child-pornography for taking self-portraits. It’s really breaking my heart and I just feel for these kids. Here’s the local news’ varying reactions to the tale:
Yuma County Sext Free
Apparently Yuma County, Arizona is quick to pat itself on the back for youth-well-raised. In an article titled “Teen ’sexting’ not seen as trend in Yuma,” Sun writer William Roller was quick to point out…
“The provocative practice of teenagers sending nude photographs of themselves via text messages - or “sexting” - is a growing phenomenon elsewhere in the country but has not surfaced locally, according to law enforcement officials.
The Yuma County Sheriff’s Office also reports no occurrences of sexting by Yuma teens or any involved with posting inappropriate images online, according to Capt. Eben Bratcher, YCSO spokesman.”
Denver Lawmakers creating phone-inclusive child-porn laws
“Now, Colorado state lawmakers are looking at a bill that would expand Internet luring and distribution of child pornography laws to include cell phones in an effort to curtail sexting.
“It happened at Castle Rock Middle School. Six students took nude photos of themselves and forwarded them to classmates. One of the photos ended up being circulated in California.
At least one parent said the law should also apply to the kids themselves. “It’s wrong and they know it. It’s not like they’re 5-year-old kids that took a match to something and had to learn. These kids know better,” said parent Shannon Marx. Lawmakers said the courts will decide how to prosecute a case if a teenager were to be charged, but the law is truly intended to target predators.”
Wisconsin Teen Charged with Uploading Naked Photos of Ex to MySpace
“Alex Phillips, a ‘wise guy’ who wanted to get revenge on his 16-year-old girlfriend by posting photos of her most private parts on MySpace, now faces felony child pornography charges in Wisconsin.
“When the girl discovered the photos had been posted on the Internet with explicit captions, she contacted police, who asked Phillips to take them down or face jail time. Police said the boy refused, saying, ‘Fuck that, I am keeping them up.’”
While I’ll admit, this one doesn’t get my sympathies, it’s still a scary precedent.
Quick to Capitalize
Nothing sells products better than fear. Parents who are afraid their children will be forever tainted by the Sexting epidemic are able to purchase special sim cards from Houston based Spygadgets.com. The sim cards allow parents to spy on their kids every text.
“‘Our phones have been ringing off the hook,’ says Jon Marshall, CEO of SpyGadgets.com in Houston, TX. ‘Parents just want to protect their kids and they are scared. Nobody wants to see their child end up in prison or have their future ruined just because of something like this.’ Marshall sells a cell phone spy device that is used to recover data from the SIM card found in some cell phones on the market. It can let you view text messages stored to the SIM card, even deleted text messages. While it won’t recover pictures from the phone, reading the messages will give a parent an idea of what their teen is texting.”
Sucks to be young….
Posted 1 year, 6 months ago at 6:57 pm. Add a comment
In a startling example of sex-negativity, invasion of privacy, and just plain stupidity, the police department of Greensburg, Pennsylvania is charging six teenage students of Greensburg Salem High School with child pornography offenses.
The charges stem from the nude and semi-nude photos three 14 and 15-year-old girls took of themselves and sent to three of their male peers via cell phone.
Police are charging the three girls with “manufacturing, disseminating or possessing child pornography”, and the boys are being charged with possession of child pornography.
“Taking nude pictures of yourself, nothing good can come out of it,” said Police Captain George Seranko in a statement to local news affiliate, WPXI.
The photos were discovered in October, after officials at the high school took the cell phone from one of the boys. Cell phone use is against the school’s policy. The first photo found was a self-portrait taken by one of the girls.
Apparently Captain Seranko decided to file the charges in order to send a strong message to other students.
“It’s very dangerous,” Seranko told WXPI. “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.”
MSNBC picked up the story, and spoke with Patrick Artur, a Philadelphia defense attorney regarding the charges “It’s clearly overkill,” Artur told MSNBC. “… The letter of the law seems to have been violated, but this is not the type of defendant that the legislature envisioned.”
This entire debacle makes me sick. According to a Cincinatti article on “sexting”, 20% of teens have sent or posted online nude or semi-nude pictures of themselves. Cincinatti.com also contacted Christopher Kraus, the director of the group Postponing Sexual Involvement based out of the Cincinatti Children’s Hospital.
“Adolescent sexuality is part of normal human development,” Kraus told Cincinatti.com. “Teens are trying to figure out how to express their sexuality appropriately. They are learning, and they are learning from adults.”
Apparently they’re learning that the adults are hypocrites. Although there are no mandatory minimum sentences under Pennsylvania’s child porn laws, the teens could still be forced to register as sex offenders for at least 10 years. Pretty heavy-duty attack on civil liberties.
Perhaps more disturbing, in the comments section at the bottom of the WXPI article were frustrated pleas from the mother of one of the young boys now charged with possession of child pornography. [Edited for grammar/spelling throughout.]
“Please don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying what my son did is right and that he shouldn’t be punished. He should have deleted the pic when the other boy sent it to him. If I would have found the pics on his phone, he would have been grounded and he wouldn’t have his phone anymore ( I have a daughter). What I’m trying to say is that my son shouldn’t be charged with sexual abuse of children. My son never touched or hurt anyone! For the rest of his life he will have to register with Megan’s law. He won’t ever be allowed around kids. How will he ever go to college or get a job? This charge will label my son as a sex offender. If I don’t find a way to get the charge dropped, my son’s life is over.”
Posted 1 year, 6 months ago at 4:40 pm. Add a comment