Are they Sex Offenders, or just STUPID?

Dear Friend-

I'm sure everyone had heard in the news of teenagers taking nude pictures of themselves and sending it to other teens. This is starting to be a huge problem. Not only are these teens setting themselves up for embarrassment, but they are risking the chance of thier pictures getting on the internet and into the hands of pedophiles.

Preteens Unknowingly Contribute To Child PornSacramento County Sheriff's Department Finds Images On Sex Offenders' Hard Drives
http://www.kcra.com/news/18019985/detail.html

Not only are they risking becoming victims of child porn, they are also risking becoming sex offenders themselves.

Teens are now being charged with disseminating child pornography, and the reciepients of thier pictures are being threatened with child pornography charges also!

Teen Girl Faced Child Porn Charges for E-Mailing Nude Pictures of Herself to Friends
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/10/teen-girl-faces.html

These are not just isolated cases...

My question to you is,
Should teens be charged as sex offenders for sending nude pictures of themselves?

I have already spoken with a Senator on this issue, and I am interested in creating a law that specifically deals with this.

Are these kids sexually deviant, or just stupid?

How much of a price should they have to pay for what they have done?

A few thoughts to ponder before you answer:

This law should have gender equality, meaning you cannot treat the boys any different than the girls.

There are victims with this crime!
1) the picture taker is making themselves a victim of child pornography (but is it illegal and punishable to make yourself a victim on purpose)
2) The person who gets the picture has been forced to view "porn" - if they wanted to or not. Could this cause the person to have any emotional damage?

Are these children sex offenders, or should they be charged with a non-sex crime?

What would you like to see done with this law?

Tracy Golden
WASP Ohio
www.waspohio.org
waspsnest@yahoo.com
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Be Proactive, And Not Reactive !
Women Against Sexual Predators