Available 24 Hours a Day. But what about sexting? Who is guilty of what? However, several cases over the last few years brought a lot of attention to the issue. For example, was it teens with overactive imaginations who were taking flirting too far?
New Jersey’s Teen Sexting Law
What’s Considered Sexting for the Purposes of Child Pornography Charges in NJ?
She knows she can get into deep trouble and cause embarrassment for herself and her family. The problem is kids like Jane don't care. Their behavior is called " sexting " -- sending sexually suggestive messages or images to others via cell phone, or posting them on social websites such as Facebook and MySpace. And as a new school calendar begins, parents and officials are hoping to get teens to understand the kind of serious trouble they can get into by sexting. At the least they're hoping kids don't pick up where they left off at summer break. Last spring, two year-old girls in separate cases, in Glen Rock and Clifton, were caught transmitting nude pictures -- something that technically is a violation of child pornography laws under the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, passed in In the Glen Rock case, however, police told students who had received a nude picture of the female student on their cell phones to delete it. The district then held assemblies on cyber awareness for middle and high school students.
Is Sexting Illegal?
Sexting among teens and tweens is a relatively new phenomenon, and many state legislatures are still trying to determine what to do about it. Because of this, laws concerning sexting vary widely. These can be nude or semi-nude images or just explicit texts. Typically, sexting occurs via text message, but any electronic transfer fits the definition — emailing, sending Instagram DMs, Snapchat selfies, and even TikTok messages. When sexting involves minors, it violates both state and federal child pornography laws. But these laws can be very broad. For instance, federal law considers any sexually suggestive image of a minor to be child pornography. The government can prosecute anyone for the production, distribution, reception, and possession of child pornography. It follows that sexting and possessing a sext of a minor is illegal.
Nearly 20 teenagers and one adult were arrested after a sexting investigation at a local high school. Teitelman Middle School, both in Cape May, New Jersey, were alerted by a female student that naked pictures of her friend were being texted to male students around the school. Police seized and analyzed 27 cell phones during the investigation. Officials say several nude and partially nude pictures of female students were exchanged between male students via text messages and social media. Police say 19 juveniles and one adult were charged with invasion of privacy in connection to the photos. It is imperative that these students understand the severity of their actions and the impact that their actions have on themselves, their victims, and the community. Students in other Cape May County schools should be aware that these actions are criminal and can lead to prosecution. Skip to content. Local Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
