A teen decided to send a few friends an explicit video of herself – trusting that the content would remain private. That action eventually led to her arrest and conviction for child pornography. Now, her case is being reviewed by the Maryland Court of Appeals.
The victim/perpetrator was the only one charged with a crime, though two of the recipients went on to share the video with others.
The case is raising questions about how to treat minors that self-share in this new age of “sexting”. Many, including some prosecutors, believe that a judge should have discretion in cases of this type.
” …including some prosecutors, believe that a judge should have discretion in cases of this type.”
What?!! The discretion is already there in the prosecutors’ hands. They have full discretion on who to charge and refuse to use it because it doesn’t get them re-elected unless used with wealthy people. It is prosecutors who must stop this nonsense or legislators who must reign them in.
I suspect that those prosecutors who are saying this, are the same ones who would exercise discretion themselves (as opposed to the prosecutors who brought this case).
Whats next?
A man being charged with possession of rapist tools-a women for involuntary distribution of porn to minors?
I do not understand why the kids who circulated the video after there falling out as friends are not in trouble. The girl who made the video only willing sent it to two others. What am I missing? And what about the boy…. is he ok with this? What about his rights? Did he consent to the video or the sharing?
The parents appealed her being put on probation and having a mental health evaluation? Depending on probation terms it seems reasonable. She put the young man at risk. Now the video is possible out there, could end up in the ring of cp and someone else is going to view it, get charged, sent to prison and have to pay her and or him restitution.
The whole situation is sad. Social media, the internet and so forth is proving to be difficult for society to handle. Very sad for all these kids.
I find this very funny…If the minor were to commit murder..any degree lets go with the lesser degree for the sake of arguement. She charge as an adult because she would know better.But because it is sex crime and she is a minor she should not be charge. The point I making is this. She is an adult in murder but a child in sex texting When is the age of accountable for ones’ actions?
I think the analogy would be, if the minor committed suicide (which is murder) because the minor would be both perpetrator and victim.
I believe charging someone as an adult because of the nature of the crime is complete lunacy. Committing a serious crime doesn’t make you automatically mature. It’s just ‘feel good’ crap. In Fort Pierce, a 10 year old shot and killed the ice cream man. They wanted to charge him as an adult. I don’t know what happened because i was dealing with all my own issues then. In what world is a 10 year old an adult? Maybe he watched the wrong TV shows, maybe he had other bad influences, but he sure as hell want a grown up. The crime should NEVER be a consideration as to whether to charge a child as an adult. You should need a whole heaping lot of evaluations by professionals to do that!
It’s a sad, sad world we live in.
Just my opinion folks.
So, this brings up an interesting possible scenario:
A minor’s parents somehow take a photo or video that is inappropriate and then manage to release it anonymously. The kid is identified, but the person’s who made the material are not. Then the material zooms around the internet for a few years and anyone caught with it must pay restitution to the minor.
BOOM! College Money!
Hey, in this crazy world, could happen.
Additionally, the mom invites her work supervisor over to the house and encourages him to log into his email account while he is over at the house. While he is logged in she sends the picture from the computer to her friend at work. Make sure to use a key measuring tool to measure his house key. The next day her friend is “horrified” to have seen this picture and the supervisor goes to jail for CP and now the mom gets his job. While he first ends up in jail, mom can help herself to all of his household goods after the key is made key by code from the measurements. The police will do nothing to stop the mom so all of his household furnishing can be sold. Additionally, if you can have the guy get mom pregnant, there is a baby to be sold to a wealthy same-sex couple since the father can’t fight for custody in jail. Think this can’t happen? Post your information and I will share you the details of how a women from was able to do a version of this!
Roger, this sounds like a plot for the Lifetime Network.
Please get me in contact with someone from Lifetime network. What makes this real-life story more compelling is this woman pulled off diffeent versions of this with different men. She was pregnant each time with buyer for baby in the Netherlands. The father of baby #3 was pushed out of car and went into a coma. He miraculously recovered but she was caught beating him. Since he was disabled with brain injury from coma it became a felony. She tried to place CP on his computer. She framed him for something else. Father of baby #4 went to prison for CP. She told police about files. She gave police computer. Although files were never opened, father #4 went to prison like the other 3.
Actually I have as little interface with the Lifetime Network as I can get away with.
I feel she should be treated like a male person and convicted and placed on the maryland registry. Soon enough people going start fighting back when they kids are on it!
In this case, I don’t believe gender is the issue but the fact that she is the minor that sent pictures of herself. It should be the same if a male minor sent pictures of himself.
Hi JD I was trying to point out weather it is male or female.. It is ok to have the Registry as long as their child or family member isn’t on it. But come hell or high water they sing a different song. When it is their member being caught up.(I don’t believe anyone should suffer being placed on it) The people placed on the black list is another voice crying punishment.
More voices speaking out the faster it can be stopped!
As far as being a male offender it has been given to myth that a male has a higher reoffender rate then a female one. In other words, the lack of woman to commit another sex crime is less than a man because of a male dominate complex
If it was male….in would be locked up in at least a juvenile facility and registry. There would be no sympathy.
When I was a teenager I was embarrassed to wear a ‘Speedo” in public. What have we allowed our society to become when someone willingly shares nude pictures of themselves to the public? Is our youth so hurting for attention that they will sacrifice their self-worth to get it? If a daughter shares pictures of herself with others, it’s not a government matter, it’s a failure of parenting matter. The ‘do-gooders’ in Hollywood are also a big part of the problem. As far as I am concerned if the SO registry is going to identify people who are a sexual threat to society, then at least half of the Hollywood celebrities should be on the registry. By the way, I wouldn’t give these so-called celebrities the time of day. Just because they ‘bastardize’ themselves on the screen doesn’t make them worthy of any recognition in my view. This girl needs to be turned over to her parents to be taught decency…if her parents know what that is.
Capt, as always well said. I agree. Parents do not parent anymore, we send wrong messages via TV, video games, advertising, music, and every form of entertainment. No wonder our kids struggle. I have always taught my daughters and yes I have three, that they are to be respected, honored, and worthy of a great life free from harrassment bigotry and demeaning actions; i treat their mother the same and we have been married 26 years this June. She stuck with me through it all and it helped she knew all of the facts; I owe her a debt I can not repay. This should be a matter between the parents the daughter and the parents of the other kids involved.
When a Nation sacrifices its morality should we be that surprised at the actions of its future generations: no.