Vermont’s Legislature is considering a bill that, if approved, would make the state one of the first in the nation to grant legal protections to teenagers who send sexually explicit photos and videos to one another with their cell phones.
The law change is receiving widespread support from prosecutors, defense attorneys, law enforcement, women’s groups and others. Still, some advocates are questioning whether the proposal crosses the line between legalizing a common practice among teens experimenting with sexuality and protecting predators who target and exploit youngsters.
The practice of exchanging graphic images, a rising trend among high school and even some middle school students known as sexting, in many cases runs afoul of child-pornography laws because of the participants’ ages. Recent national news reports about the topic have shared stories of youngsters — senders and recipients — who were brought to adult courts on felony charges, have been convicted and called pedophiles, and whose names will be included on sex-offender registries for years.
AdvertisementIn Vermont, too, at least one teenager, a former South Burlington High School student, is facing charges related to sexting.
Terminally strange if you’re deep into the staying up late at night worrying that somebody, somewhere, may actually be having fun….
But, why not?
In the rush to stay “moral”, and to avoid problems by burying one’s head in the sand, a lot of people are getting whacked by laws that are behind the thinking these kids are using.
For example, it appears that a girl who makes it to her High School Graduation without spending the night with a boy is already in the Convent…. And even if they’re not “doing it”, they’ve seen or heard all about it, have friends who are, and can probably tell their doctors more about human genitals than their parents ever learned.
Short answer is “consent”…. You can’t even say “consentual adult” anymore – the definitions don’t work. The twelve-year-olds just haven’t seen as many good web sites as the sixteen-year-olds….
You can (and I would) rant about the morals aspects, but the real question is “who’s getting hurt?” It’s up to us “adults” (that can bite you too) to see to it that our kids can handle this properly, and maybe NOT do it, but that’s as good as it gets. Making felons out of them for wearing a couple square inches less of one of those dental-floss swimsuits is nuts.
And, lets also not forget that by 18, in most states, no swimsuit is legal in the right locations…. We have to protect them against the random promiscuity that all of this is implying, not the blue-haired biddys who object to a skimpy shoe….
Regards
My only thought is making a felony out of an individual for so-called sexting an individual is rising to the level of misconduct behavior (as was the case in the previous incident). It rises to the level of judicial impeachment, if not disbarment on the part of a DA.
The illegal act would be someone of age sending a picture to a minor. Not two minors engaging in less than appropriate behavior. There are already a number of laws on the books to handle this type of behavior, if it is necessary.
How do you make “legal” something that isn’t illegal?
Isn’t it odd whenever girls get charged with sex crimes people start talking about changing the law. You can bet if it was a boy sending pictures of himself everybody would be OK with him getting a lifetime record.
The only time when I served on a jury was when an under aged girl did something stupid, and the man when to prison for ten years. She never got charged with anything.
I’m awaiting the day thinking illicit thoughts becomes illegal.
Pedro, by your post you indicate you are lower than the person you seek to harm. The Bum you would employ to do your dirty work is also morally superior to you, as he obviously has few options to make his way in life.
I have to assume you intend to show the world how daspicable a person you are. Or you are simply stupid.
I personally don’t believe a 16-year old who sends a picture of herself to her 17 year old boyfriend should be prosecuted and be a registered sex offender. Not only is it cruel and unusual punishment, but it dilutes the stigma of “being” a registered sex offender if you throw in such mild offenders.
Also, you have to remember that nudity itself isn’t even illegal in much of Vermont, so people have slightly different standards than say, Georgia.
That being said, 13 is to young. I would raise the age to 14 or 15. And why does this have to come on the heals on the landmark legislation of gay marriage? This just feeds the “see what gay marriage leads to” peanut gallery.
Ha, Ha. The law has to be changed because the adults in charge can’t exercise any discretion.
The law being an ass rides bumpingly on.
#10 Unfortunaetly, a lot of laws for these “CRIMES” were written with zero tolerance and mandatory sentences. It’s not the judges or the DA who is at fault, it’s the boneheaded legislators who write the laws. They leave no room for common sense because they want to appear tough on crime. At least they are starting to try to fix the problem way up dere.
Don