Sexting leads to felony charges for children

Last week, two middle school students in Valparaiso, Ind., were caught sending nude pictures of themselves to each other on their cell phones. The students were caught when the 13-year-old girl's cell phone rang in class, and her teacher confiscated it, according to a police report.

The girl cried that she would get in trouble because a 12-year-old boy sent her a "dirty picture."

The boy sent the girl a picture of his genitals and requested that she do the same, the report said. The girl then texted him a picture of her naked, police said.

The students have been charged with child exploitation and possession of child pornography, both felonies. They were referred to the county's juvenile probation department, which will determine whether authorities pursue or drop the charges, Gensel said. If convicted, the students could be required to register as sex offenders, he said.

Read the whole article here.

Is it just me, or is the whole world going nuts? (No pun intended, or maybe it is...)
Hello! These are kids! 12 and 13 years old sending each other pictures.
Was it a smart thing to do? Probably not, considering the risk of them showing up on the internet. But these kids may end up as sex-offenders on felony charges, having to register as such wherever they go to live for the rest of their lives.

I wonder where we are in a few years time. I'm speechless! I really am.

Child exploitation and possession of child pornography, is one thing when there is an adult and a minor involved. But when there is 2 minors the same age how can it be child pornography. So is it child pornography if they had SEX or IF they saw each other naked. I say leave it up to the parents to figure it out not the court system that will destroy them for nothing but just plane curiosity.

There's been a few cases of this in Central Texas in the news....yeah, we're going crazy. Should the kids be sending each other dirty pics, of course not....Are they felons? What happens if they decide to play doctor?

Yeah, that's messed up. I remember how when I was 12 and 13 the hormones raged like it was no thang. Seriously, it's not wrong for late preteens and early teens to have a highly sexual imagination. They're just curious, and there's nothing wrong with that.

What sucks is that they can be classified as kiddy fiddlers when they're both minors. That's messed up.

Illinois legislation is pending to make it illegal to upload on the Internet or disseminate a video of someone without their consent or with the intent to cause harm. An Ohio program requires juveniles charged in sexting cases to relinquish their cell phones and attend classes on the legal and emotional consequences of sexting, according to the Montgomery County prosecutor's office.

- same source as OP

I mean, those two seem like more justifiable responses to sexting. Its all about their intention and motive. "distribution of child pornography" are you serious? these kids are doing what they do at that age, or discovering it one way or another, they're just smarter at it thanks to cell phones.

As long as it never gets to the point of exploitation, its hardly different than what they do in private.

reply to post by jsettica


I just want to know what the judge (and parents) say about this, provided it gets that far to begin with.

reply to post by Koyaanisqatsi


Nobody ever deserves to go to prison over looking at a bunch of pixels arranged in a way some people find offensive. I don't care if the pixels are the most offensive thing humanly possible... if you don't like the pixels, don't download them onto your screen.

In fact, nobody even deserves so much as a slap on the wrist over a bunch of pixels, because they are just pixels and therefore not hurting someone.

Yes there are people who hurt others by forcing them into such pictures, and they need to be stopped from doing that, such as by punishing them. But what is the problem is the coaxing of people who are not mature into doing things that are morally reprehensible. That is what should be punished, not the pixels.

In Australia I hear the are banning pictures of small-breasted women in pornography. Its ridiculous. Maybe next they'll ban women from having small breasts and require them to get augmentation so nobody will get a pedophile-like pleasure from a grown woman. Then they can ban fat men with a big chest from going topless... man boobs can be made illegal to show or something. God knows those are a lot more visually offensive than a typical pair of breasts! Who knows what the thought police are capable of punishing us for... it seems they have no limits.

I saw this earlier today and thought about posting.

It is silly. I believe it actually went to a detective and prosecutors prior to charging these kids. So, it wasn't like some beat cop had a knee jerk reaction and just decided to do it. This came down from up top.

You can read the actual police report here...

The Smoking Gun - Sexting

Look - teaching the kids "this isn't the thing to do" is one thing and likely the right thing to do. Ruining these kids lives for the rest of their days over a "I'll show you mine if you show me yours" is not the right thing to do.

I showed my winkle to a couple of girls at that age. And they showed me they didn't have one. I would have taken a photo but I couldn't afford an "insto-matic"

So it would seem the only difference between me then, and them now, was the technology barrier.

Only adults who have either repressed or are in denial at what it was like to be at that age, would be behind this. Or religious nutters.

when I was 12 years old I hadnt even started puberty and most 13 year old girls had. no way in hell would I have sent a pic of my pre-pubescent penis to an older girl. thats just weird.

things like this are exactly why I'm not having any kids..ever

Originally posted by thedeadtruth
So it would seem the only difference between me then, and them now, was the technology barrier.

Well - that would be one. The other would be that I'm guessing you both went on to lead normal lives. With these charges, these kids lives are pretty much ruined.

Originally posted by Whine Flu
Yeah, that's messed up. I remember how when I was 12 and 13 the hormones raged like it was no thang. Seriously, it's not wrong for late preteens and early teens to have a highly sexual imagination. They're just curious, and there's nothing wrong with that.

What sucks is that they can be classified as kiddy fiddlers when they're both minors. That's messed up.

Voice of reason
kids at preteen have alots of sexual imagination i know because i remember my older days lol.

there isnt much to say about this

plain and simple its insane

and it is going to ruin millions of lives

this started back when i was in high-school, so this isnt new


the main point however is that these are kids

charging a kid with a felony is absurd, to a child, they have no ability to grasp time nor understand how their actions can affect them for such a long period of time as a felony will


on top of that, the children are only doing what they are conditioned to do


look at the media, every channel you turn on its sex sex sex


half naked woman, half naked men, all acting like whores



it used to be that during the day, there was sensitivity to the fact kids might see that, and things were scheduled accordingly


now everything is just sex sex sex murder murder murder kill kill kill


and we expect our kids not to do what they see


just look at day time soaps, thats just one of the things these kids are exposed to, and we wonder why there are so many slutty backstabbing ignorant incredibly dumb kids growing up these days that care nothing more then about miley and the new i pod


lets not even mention the news, i dont remember the last time there WASNT a story about some dumb ass politician and his mistresses



so anyways whats next?

charging both the underage girl and boy who have sex with statutory rape?

handcuffing and fingerprinting a baby who takes a candy bar from the grocery isle?


or how about jailing the porn site owners when some underage kid access's their site?



basically the way it seems, is anything that people do, or want to do, (sex drugs, rock n roll, gambling, using renewable energy) they want to make a law against it and put everyone in jail, all while publicizing and glamorizing the things they dont want us doing
(maybe the rock n roll part is extremely outdated but the figure of speech fit)

our system is severely hypocritical

here, watch all this sex sex sex

but dont even think about having it until you turn the magical age of 18 where you can bang each others brains out, go to war and shoot each others brains out, but dont touch alcohol, you have to wait till the magic number 21 for that



our system needs a change, stat, someone needs to bring in the defibrillator

even if its the tv show doctor using it, which it probably will be

by the way do we even have real drs anymore, or are they all just on tv, because with all of them on tv, theres no way theres enough left over to actually deal with huge medical crisis's like the horrendous swine flu

reply to post by Koyaanisqatsi


This is much bigger than sexting and those two kids.

Ultimately this is about control of the use of information/cyberspace by individuals.

It's a brave new world, welcome to the monkey house.

I'm not condoning this in any way...but this is no different than two kids behind a barn shed in the older days, saying, "you show me yours and i will show you mine." kids have been doing this since the beginning of the ages.

people need to grow up and stop trying to punish something so harshly that don't need to be.

We've had sexting assembly's here at my high school and they laid it out like this; it doesn't matter who sent it, your age, or even if it was just you keeping your own photos, you WILL be charged with possession and distribution of child pornography.

I can understand when it's some 40-year old dude doing something, but what goes on between teenagers is totally different. I found it outrageous that they are going as far to be serious charges that stick with you for life just because of a photo that was found by someone who shouldn't have been looking through the phone in the first place.

Being that I'm still in high school, I can tell you right now kids are doing sexual things at a younger age every year and it's totally NORMAL. Hell, every grade has people that actively engage or has tried sexual intercourse.
I feel times are-a-changin' and the term "child" should stop applying to everyone under 18, and change to at the very LEAST 16; considering that a majority of 16 year old's are already driving, smoking, drinking, hold jobs, and obviously engaging in sexual activities.

Now I'm not saying sexting is good, by no means, I'm just saying they shouldn't be charging kids with felony crimes that stay with them for life. I feel that those in power are increasing the rules and pressure on people under 18, when all the years before 18 are supposed to be all about freedom before you enter the real world. Kids can't learn from their experiences if they live under rules..ahem I mean LAWS.

[edit on 29-1-2010 by grrrrt]

This is ridiculous. They are kids! They did do something very stupid and I think they are already permanently embarrassed, let the parents deal with them. Personally I dont think a 12 or 13 year old should have a cell phone. This is why kids are doing the crap they do now a days I swear. I was still playing with Barbie for god's sake at this age! I wasnt even thinking of sending dirty pics to a boy. So now the rest of their lives are going to be ruined because of this. It is STUPID!

Originally posted by grrrrt

Being that I'm still in high school, I can tell you right now kids are doing sexual things at a younger age every year and it's totally NORMAL. Hell, every grade has people that actively engage or has tried sexual intercourse.
I feel times are-a-changin' and the term "child" should stop applying to everyone under 18, and change to at the very LEAST 16; considering that a majority of 16 year old's are already driving, smoking, drinking, hold jobs, and obviously engaging in sexual activities.

These are things, besides driving and working, that someone your age shouldnt be doing! You are a child at 16!! I could never do the things I do now when I was 16, I wouldnt know how. Of course someone your age isnt going to want to be called a child. I didnt when I was 16 either but face it you are. I was too back then...You dont know anything about the real world and I say this because I thought I did at 16 just like every other 16 year old out there right now. Kids should not be drinking, smoking, having sex or doing anything sexual, let alone "sexting."

Now I'm not saying sexting is good, by no means, I'm just saying they shouldn't be charging kids with felony crimes that stay with them for life. I feel that those in power are increasing the rules and pressure on people under 18, when all the years before 18 are supposed to be all about freedom before you enter the real world. Kids can't learn from their experiences if they live under rules..ahem I mean LAWS.

I agree felony charges is a bit extreme, heck charges period in my book are ridiculous. Laws are rules. You kids now a days have it so easy. None of you want any kind of authority. I am only 31 and I cant even believe how the younger generations act. I would never act in the manner they do now. I just dont get it. Being under 18 doesnt mean you have free reign to do whatever you want without consequences. It doesnt give someone that age to just go and do whatever they want. There are rules and yes laws everyone should abide by. Some do and some dont. Now I dont think these kids should be charged with anything. Their parents should be left to punish them not the courts.

[edit on 29-1-2010 by grrrrt]

Originally posted by Signals
((snip))

What happens if they decide to play doctor?

Playing doctor?, I'm thinking FBI raid and arrest for practicing medicine without a license... then cited by code enforcement for running a medical practice in a residential zone...lol

When I was 15 getting to "3rd base" was fun, these days it's what?.. felony child molestation?...

Charging these kids like that is freak'n insanity, welcome to the age of felony flirting.