The Sexting Conversation

Not Just One Picture

The laws are very precise about child pornography. If a middle aged man is prosecuted for taking explicit pictures of a teenage girl, then he ends up on a sexual offender registry. He's the perpetrator. She's the victim. It get's a little more confusing when it's the 14 year old girl taking and sending pictures of herself.

That's the problem. Kids are taking explicit pictures of themselves and sending them to their friends. Text messages. Email. Even online video.

Beyond the legal implications, there is the consequence of a digital picture on the internet. And once something is on the net, there's no going back. There's no undo.

If you or a friend is suddenly over your head because of some pictures there's help. An anonymous call to Safe2Tell might help you get through it.

Resources on the Net

There is a ton of info online. But here are some especially interesting resources and stories...

Channel 9 in Denver

Sexting is a growing trend among teens. It means sending sexually explicit messages or photos using e-mail and Web cams, but primarily cell phones.

Sextortion At Eisenhower High

Gentlemen's Quarterly has a must-read for teens and parents about how sexting can turn not just bad. But really bad.
In 2008, an awkward high school senior in Wisconsin went online, passed himself off as a flirtatious female student, and conned dozens of his male classmates into e-mailing him sexually explicit images of themselves. What he did next got him a sentance of 15 years in prison and another 13 years of extended supervision.

Some Legal Insight

Dr. Douglas Berman with Ohio State University offers a variety of insights and reports on his impressive legal blog.

United States Sexting Laws

Looking for sexting laws in the United States? Find out more about sexting laws and possible penalties in your state.

'Sexting' lands teen on sex offender list

Phillip Alpert found out the hard way. He had just turned 18 when he sent a naked photo of his 16-year-old girlfriend, a photo she had taken and sent him, to dozens of her friends and family after an argument. The high school sweethearts had been dating for almost 2 1/2 years. "It was a stupid thing I did because I was upset and tired and it was the middle of the night and I was an immature kid," says Alpert.

Nude photo led to suicide

Jessica Logan's nude cell-phone photo - meant for her boyfriend's eyes only - was sent to hundreds of teenagers in at least seven Greater Cincinnati high schools.

Utah Attorney General is Serious

Shurtleff blasts study saying "sexting" is as harmless as spin-the-bottle.

Sexting Hysteria Falsely Brands Educator as Child Pornographer

The investigation was inconclusive, but led to a stunning aftermath: Oei himself was charged with possession of child pornography and related crimes charges that threatened to brand him a sex offender and land him in prison for up to seven years. Transferred from his school and isolated from colleagues, Oei spent $150,000 and a year of his life defending himself in a Kafkaesque legal nightmare triggered by a determined county prosecutor and nurtured by a growing hysteria over technology-enabled child porn at Americas schools.

FREE ONLINE RESOURCES