Teen Sexting Bill Passes Through Senate Committee
Air Date:02/09/2012
The State Senate Judiciary Committee advanced a bill that specifies criminal penalties for teens who practice in sexting-taking nude photos on their cell phones and sending them. Senator Mike Vehle (Valley) of Mitchell re-introduced the bill after it failed last session. Vehle says he formed a task force of county prosecutors to strengthen the language of the measure.
Vehle says, "The problem we had was over the 18, or someone who was a 17 and a 19. And we finally looked at each other and said ‘is there some common ground here?' And the common ground was ‘under 18-what can we do with that particular problem.' ‘Cause what you can charge them with is child pornography or nothing, basically. So the thought process is, we need to do something here."
Senate Bill 183 makes sexting by juveniles a Class 1 Misdemeanor-it's next heard in the full Senate.
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