Teen Boy and His Friends Busted for Sending Nude Photos

Posted by Brian Fairbanks

 

Picture this scenario: Your friend sends you a pornographic birthday card as a joke. When you look closely at the photo, you realize the nude model on the card is borderline jailbait, but you decide to simply toss the card and be done with it. The next thing you know, you're under arrest for possession of child pornography.

Think that's unfair? Then wait till you hear what happened to a group of underage boys who sent each other a photo of an underage girl...

According to the local news in Falmouth (is that pronounced "foul mouth?"), Massachusetts, a boy between twelve and fourteen years photographed his thirteen-year-old girlfriend in the nude. That's crime #1-- the police consider it child pornography, even thought, um, they're both children. (We've discussed this legal condundrum many times on Scanner, so let's move on.) Then, and here's the part we never understand, the boy sends the photo to all his friends, apparently never having heard of "junior high school," which mandates everyone shares everything with everyone. Of course, soon enough, tons of people had the photo and six boys are under arrest for possession of child porn. Some friend this kid was-- and we hope his girlfriend dumps his sorry ass for being a lame showoff and possibly ruining her life.

By the way, how sad is it that we're charging children with posession of child pornography? They're not perverts if they're the same age as the girls they're ogling...

Via WHDH.

 

Related:

Today in WTF: Man Has Sex with or in a Dumpster

While You Were Sleeping: The Fox News Child Porn Bust

Woman With the Best Perv Name Ever to Be Sentenced For, Well, Being a Perv


Comments

Apollo said:

I agree that they shouldn't be this harshly judged for having a naked picture of someone their own age. But I think the problem arises in the mere existence of the photo. If one of the teachers at the school got the picture he/she would certainly be charged with possession of child porn. Since taking/distributing the picture risked it getting into the hands of a pervert there doesn't seem to be much recourse on the charge.

February 11, 2009 12:04 PM

fabul1st said:

Many states have "Romeo and Juliette" laws that provide an exception to statutory rape laws when two underage kids have sex with each other.  We basically need the same exception for the nude photos.  It makes sense that if the fourteen year old boy can legally have sex with his thirteen year old girlfriend, he should be able to take nude pictures of her with her permission.  The downstream recipients are a thornier problem, but generally, there should be a safe harbor for getting unsolicited material that you then delete a short while later.

February 11, 2009 1:18 PM

profrobert said:

I think he should be charged for taking the picture, but as a minor, not as an adult.  The danger of having a "Romeo and Juliet" exception for nude photos is that they will get distributed.  You could also envision adults putting children up to photographing one another.

February 11, 2009 8:36 PM

qwerty said:

lol this is nothing! in my school, a girl gave a teacher a blowjob

February 17, 2009 10:24 PM

About Brian Fairbanks

Brian Fairbanks, the Senior National Political Correspondent for Nerve, is a filmmaker living in Brooklyn or New Orleans, depending on the season. He is a heavily-armed advocate of gun control.

in