ZacFields
04-08-2009, 01:58 PM
Has anyone read the news articles lately about how "sexting" (in high school and middle school) is considered child pornography, and the creator of the pictures as well as all the recipients can be charged with child pornography and put on the sex offendor list in most cases?
What do you guys think about this? In Iowa, it is 100% legal to engage in sexual intercourse beginning at age 16. That is to say that two 16-year olds can have sex and there's not a thing their parents can do about it except ground them. Yet, if in the process of sexual intercourse, one of the partners whips out a call phone and snaps a picture, that'll land him/her on the sex offender's registry next to rapists and real child pornographers.
I personally think its disgusting that this is happening. These kids are not aware of the legal ramifications of such a simple act, and of course it's not something that they're going to be thinking about. Hell it's hard enough to get kids to have enough sense to use condoms, let alone understand the life-changing consequences of snapping a picture with their cell phone.
Other than the fact that all your neighbors will know you're a registered sex offender for the rest of your life (and let's not forget the fact that you can't live in certain areas now), you are a convicted felon and there are very few businesses that will even consider hiring you.
IMO, one of two things need to change:
1. If the sex being had is legal, then it should not be considered a crime to take pictures/video. If your state says you can have sex at age 16, then a 16-year old girl should be able to take a nude photo of herself and send it to her boyfriend. If you can have sex, why shouldn't you be able to take a picture of it?
OR
2. It should be illegal to engage in sexual activities until age 18.
The problem here is the difference between what is legal to do and what is legal to take a picture of. To me, there shouldn't be a difference between the two. Child pornography laws were created to protect young children from being molested, abused, and exploited. I completely and 100% support child pornography laws. But those laws were not meant to ruin the life of some boy or girl who was too stupid not to take naked pictures of themself and send it to their friends.
Simply put, you are NOT a "sexual offendor" if you took a picture of yourself or allowed your boyfriend/girlfriend to take a picture of you naked. These kids should be punished, but let's not ruin their lives over some stupid mistake they made that involved no sort of abuse or molestation.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/04/07/sex ... index.html (http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/04/07/sexting.busts/index.html)
What do you guys think about this? In Iowa, it is 100% legal to engage in sexual intercourse beginning at age 16. That is to say that two 16-year olds can have sex and there's not a thing their parents can do about it except ground them. Yet, if in the process of sexual intercourse, one of the partners whips out a call phone and snaps a picture, that'll land him/her on the sex offender's registry next to rapists and real child pornographers.
I personally think its disgusting that this is happening. These kids are not aware of the legal ramifications of such a simple act, and of course it's not something that they're going to be thinking about. Hell it's hard enough to get kids to have enough sense to use condoms, let alone understand the life-changing consequences of snapping a picture with their cell phone.
Other than the fact that all your neighbors will know you're a registered sex offender for the rest of your life (and let's not forget the fact that you can't live in certain areas now), you are a convicted felon and there are very few businesses that will even consider hiring you.
IMO, one of two things need to change:
1. If the sex being had is legal, then it should not be considered a crime to take pictures/video. If your state says you can have sex at age 16, then a 16-year old girl should be able to take a nude photo of herself and send it to her boyfriend. If you can have sex, why shouldn't you be able to take a picture of it?
OR
2. It should be illegal to engage in sexual activities until age 18.
The problem here is the difference between what is legal to do and what is legal to take a picture of. To me, there shouldn't be a difference between the two. Child pornography laws were created to protect young children from being molested, abused, and exploited. I completely and 100% support child pornography laws. But those laws were not meant to ruin the life of some boy or girl who was too stupid not to take naked pictures of themself and send it to their friends.
Simply put, you are NOT a "sexual offendor" if you took a picture of yourself or allowed your boyfriend/girlfriend to take a picture of you naked. These kids should be punished, but let's not ruin their lives over some stupid mistake they made that involved no sort of abuse or molestation.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/04/07/sex ... index.html (http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/04/07/sexting.busts/index.html)