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The texts you send might land you in legal trouble

On Behalf of | May 24, 2016 | Sex Crimes |

Texting is quickly becoming one of the most common forms of communicating. While most people send texts that are harmless, others send texts that are sexual in nature. Those sexual texts have been termed sexts. What some people might not realize is that sexting can actually lead to legal issues if those sexts don’t involve only adults.

The issue with sexting comes into the picture when images of minors that are sexual in nature are transmitted. While there aren’t many criminal laws that directly address the issue of sexting, it is possible for people to face criminal charges based on other laws like child pornography laws.

It might shock some people to know that it is possible for minors to face criminal charges based on sexting. This is because child pornography laws don’t always stipulate that an adult must be one party in the transmission of the images in order for the case to qualify as a child pornography case. Even a minor who is sending sexually suggestive pictures to a boyfriend or girlfriend could face criminal charges for the sexting.

Since the laws are still evolving, it is crucial that anyone who sexts realize that he or she may face criminal charges. Depending on the actual charge you are facing, it is possible that you will face a lifetime of penalties, such as having to register as a sex offender, if you are found guilty of sexting-related charges. Because of this, you need to ensure that you have a complete understanding of the penalties you face, as well as all the options you have for your defense.

Source: FindLaw, “Sexting,” accessed May 24, 2016

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