COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA –
A crime that many parents may not have heard of, but their teenagers have, has gotten the attention of state lawmakers. One of the bills prefiled in the South Carolina Senate would make “sexting” a crime for children ages 12 to 17. Sexting is sending a nude or semi-nude photo of yourself or someone else via text message or forwarding a similar message.
A nationwide survey by the National Campaign to Support Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy found that 20 percent of teens admit to sexting.
Sen. Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg, one of the co-sponsors of the bill, says there are several reasons he, Sen. Mike Fair of Greenville and Sen. Darrell Jackson of Columbia prefiled the bill.
First, he hopes it will help prevent some teens from sexting. “You want to use it as a tool to educate young people about what’s appropriate and what’s not. And I think a lot of them don’t realize how a potential stigma could arise from this that could follow you,” he says.
Second, it allows teens engaged in sexting to be held accountable without potentially ruining their lives. In states that have no law against sexting, teens found with cell phones containing nude photos of minors can be charged with possession and/or distribution of child pornography, a serious felony.
The prefiled bill would make sexting a civil case, with penalties of a $100 fine and/or requiring the teen to complete an educational program on the dangers of sexting. If the teen doesn’t pay the fine or complete the educational program, his driver’s license could be suspended for 90 days. The crime also would not give the teen a criminal record or force him to register as a sex offender, unlike a child pornography charge.
And third, Sen. Hutto thinks just prefiling the bill will give parents a good reason to talk to their teens about sexting and its dangers. “When people see your story, the mom may get the daughter in and say, ‘Look what the legislature is talking about doing. You know, I’ve told you before to be careful what you text and email and send to your friends and now if you do this you’re subjecting yourself to a fine.’”
As for how it would be enforced, if it becomes law, Sen. Hutto says cases would likely come up through complaints by parents or from teachers or school resource officers who see or hear about it.
The educational course violators would have to take would include teaching the teens about the consequences of sexting, things they probably never considered. Sen. Hutto says an explicit photo that may have been meant for a teen girl’s boyfriend could end up being forwarded to other people and even make it onto the Internet. The girl could then end up with a stalker who saw her photo online.
Sen. Hutto says, “Also, this could be used as a form of bullying or cyber-bullying, threatening somebody or holding it over their head. ‘If you don’t do so-and-so, I’m going to release that picture that Johnny sent to me.’”
Article source: http://www2.wagt.com/news/2010/dec/17/bill-would-make-teen-sexting-against-law-south-car-ar-1236798/
Category: Cyber Stalking