Should teens who "sext" (circulate suggestive photographs electronically) face child pornography charges?

The proposed legislation in Vermont would decriminalize consensual sexting between kids who are between 13 and 18 years old.

Consensual and a person under the age of 18 should not be used in the same sentience!

As any adult can tell you... sending nude pictures of yourself to anyone is not a very bright decision. However, making lifetime criminals out of teens boarders on "stupidity"! Most adults found themselves in similar positions when they were young. Thank God that some people have the common sense to know the difference between a pedophile and a "stupid" decision made by a child.

This is a current issue at my child's school. Students are having their cell phones taken because one person sent a 'sext' around. Even students that have nothing to do with this are being punished in school because they can't or won't tell on others. These are children that have no reason to know or understand the laws that govern child pornography.

Just because they are under 18 doesn't mean they don't think about sex whether they participate or not. So why should youthful bad judgement be handled the same way as adult sexually deviant behavior? And why should one minor be penalized for being the recipient of unsolicited sexting from another minor?

The parents are paying the darn cell phone bills, and it is an easy fix. Stop subscribing to the unlimited text and photos....let your teenagers whine about it, and let them get a job and pay for it. We are spoiling the heck out of our kids, and they are abusing all of it! Texting while driving, DANGEROUS! Now sending porn across the phone is making parents cry cuz their daughter let some stupid boyfriend talk her into naked photos. Give the girl some self esteem instead of paying for texting and photos on her phone. $5 a month for unlimited is still $5 a month, or $10 or whatever it costs, I do not even know, with three kids on my plan, none of them can text or send photos, and they hate me for it. A cell phone is a priveledge, and for emergencies, I say.

The problem is that parents continue to expect the government to step in and make decisions for them. If this is such a problem, take the cell phone away from the child....Be a parent. Why should the government need to make still another law that will be ignored. This is simply a case where children are given too much freedom and not given the guidance. Obivously, if the child cannot handle the privleged, then it might be smart to eliminate the problem.

Many generations have survived without cell phones and maybe the current generation should get a grip.

WOW, that spokesperson for internet safety was indeed THEE Donna Rice of "Gary Hart" fame!!!

Child pornography laws are intended to prevent the sexual exploitation of children by adults. Also, classifying someone as a sexual offender is intended to identify these people as dangers in a society. A child foolishly sending sexual images of themselves to others does not make that child a danger to others in society.

think adults think....when we where young all the stupid things we did. now a days they want to charge people for anything. lives can be ruined here and NO they should not be charged. whats next cant wear a bathing suit at the beach?

I think that an 18 year old who sends pictures of his ex-girlfriend- knows what he's doing....these kids are more text/internet savvy than we give credit. There shoud be some PUNISHMENT!! Probation, then caught again--- jail time... I'm talking under 18 also! These kids have to learn their behaviors- all of them- have consequences!!!

Parents cen tell, and warn over and over- they have to take some responsibility!!

Raising a teen is an arduous, tedious job. Allowing your kids to live like little adults, with all of the privileges they want, with no responsibility is like loading a gun and handing it to them. We need to be around every corner, with love and support and with common sense.

Not every problem needs to be addressed by the criminal justice system.

Good lord, kids have been doing this for as long as a camera has been around. You can't stop kids from being kids...take that away or punish them and next they will be showing in the flesh instead of the camera...but then again kids have been doing that also for ages...sometimes I think the laws have gone a little to far...just as the case with the boy farting on a school bus..and being punished...what is wrong with america? I say...let the parents deal with issues such as this.

This is an issue that I saw coming a mile away when they first started putting cameras in cell phones. Yes, these are kids making stupid mistakes but at the same time this IS CHILD PORNOGRAPHY, like it or not, that's what it boils down to. To change laws so that there is "consensual sexting" allowed will only lead to worse problems. That is like saying that as long as crack dealers only sell to "consensual" junkies, it's OK. How absurd would that be?! The laws either need to be changed to reflect the new technology and problems that come with it, ie. if the people involved are minors then they should face counseling and mandatory surrender of the cell phones, OR the manufacturers of the phones need to step up to the plate and acknowledge what a societal nightmare their greed has unleashed and stop making phones with cameras, by force if necessary. This MUST STOP! Our society has become DRENCHED in sexuality and it is doing DAMAGE to our kids. PARENTS: STOP letting your kids run the show...NO more "sexting", NO more racy TV shows, NO more violent video games, NO more sexually explicit movies, NO more sleazy Cosmo magazines for your TEEN daughters. When are you people going to get how much damage is being done? START BEING PARENTS. UNBELIEVABLE!

I feel that sexting is not a reasonable way to require someone register as a sex offender. They should not have to register as a sex offender because it isnt really a sexual offense. It needs to be handled differently.

I think that the teens who send them should not get in trouble at all. If they want there pictures out there they should be able to send it to there boy friend or who ever they want. they should not get charged for doing this i do not think it is wrong.

I feel that sexting should not require a person to register as a sex offender. Sexting is dealing with mainly teens, if a teacher were to recieve the photos however that is a completly different story. If the image is of the sender it should not be a crime at all because it is their choice of putting the image out. I mean if they dont want images of their body going all over the world they should not let the image be taken or take the image themselves and send them out.

I have a 13 yearold and 10 year old and I had heard about sexting 6 months or so ago. I have not had any problems with either of my sons sending picture texts but I still called my cellphone company to see my options. I want parents to know you can block your childs phone from recieving or sending picture texts . This is called MMS texting. They can still recieve SMS texts which are the normal texting but those dont have the ability to attach music or pictures. My Carrier is ATT and there is no charge to do this. You do have to call them . It is not a feature you can change on their website but it was very easy for them to do. I just gave my 10 year old a cell phone and had them remove the MMS texting at set up. I am finding that many times most of the children are getting these texts from other people that they dont even know. Someone else has forwarded there number on etc. This protects them even if they had no intention of sexting.

I dont think that they should be tried as a pedifile . But i do think that they do need to get some kind of charge just not being charged as a pedifile . Because i think that is a little exsessave , They need to be charged as a juvinial not an adult . if it is a photo of yourself and you are just sending it to lets say your boyfriend than i think it is ok. If you get one from your girlfriend than it is ok cuz it is ok cuz it is for your eyes only and noone else will see it.but as long as your boyfriend/ girlfriend does not send it to any one else .

I think the child pornography laws were made before texting and that some one shouldn't be punished on laws made twenty some years ago before there was even a possibility of this. Also most kids in America probably don't even know this is a crime. I don't believe that some one should be charged for when most people have no idea there is a law on this. I also believe if it is a picture to your boyfriend then he will see you anyways or probably already has so a parent shouldn't freak out Cause no matter what its going to happens. Yes it is wrong when your picture gets lost but you are the one that sent it so its sad. If you take a picture you have given consent for it to be seen by any one who looks.