Comments on: Police blotter: Teens prosecuted for racy photos

In this week's installment, a teen is prosecuted for taking risque photos of herself and her teenage beau and e-mailing them to him.

[vanvanhorn]

The case for Global Warming

You know, I have a stack of used cardboard boxes here that I was planning on knocking flat for recycling. But maybe I should take them out back and burn them. I don't really believe a little more CO2 will bring on global warming, but I suppose it's possible. And one of the infrequently-mentioned benefits of global warming is that we won't have to put up with Florida any more.

Van

[Bob H in NPR]

Prosecuting the victims?

Consenting minors performing sexual acts is legal under Florida law, but taking pix of it for personal use is illegal? According to the law it is. Giving them to your boyfriend & his possession of them is. In Florida, the age of consent is 16, not 18. Where is the consistency? Inconsistency between related laws would seem to be the crime.

If these pictures are released, possible harm may come to their careers or personal lives---Let me get this straight. If others see these pictures, harm may occur to the minors involved. That is true. Therefore, everyone involved in the prosecution of this case is guilty of distribution of child pornography, since literally hundreds of people in the Police Dept, Prosecutors offices, & court employees have had access to the pix. This includes those who have no direct involvement in the case. Prosecution has definitely caused psychological & career harm to these teens, which constitutes the crimes of felony child abuse & distribution of child porn. These teen's intentions are no worse than the Court's. The wrong people are being prosecuted here.

There was a case in Arizona where a 12 year old faced a felony charge of possession of child porn on his computer. He claimed he had no knowledge that it was there. Two polygraph tests supported his story. Yet he was arrested & charged. If convicted, he would have been put on the sexual predator's list for the rest of his life. He pleaded out, but thankfully the judge who heard the case refused the plea & dismissed the case.

We all need to get a grip & find our lost common sense in this country. We have gone way too far off the deep end.

[Tim Parks]

Racy Photos

We have gone way overboard when the best we can do is to prosecute two childern for acts that they did not have the age level yet to understand were wrong. They are the victims. The police the prosecuter and the courts in this case should wake up and admit they made a misstake in the prosection of the victims. I am a retired police officer of over 25 years in Law Enforcement and I for one can tell you that we have gone way to far in this whole sex offender thing. Recent studies by the federal Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics found that 93 percent of children who were victims of sexual assault were victimized by family members or people they knew. Another federal study found that sex offenders had lower recidivism rates than other criminals, and that three years after their release from prison, only 3.3 percent had been arrested for another sex crime against a child.
When are we as a socity going to wake up and realize that those elected to office are using this subject to get votes. They do not have our childerns saftey at hart. If they did they would make sure that only those sex offenders who were the most danger to our kids and other people would be placed on the Sex Offender Registry. In some states including Florida some many people are listed it is like trying to find a needle in a hay stack. Come on Public wake up and tell your elected officals you are on to them and if they keep going in the direction they are now going we will all have our rights taken away from us.

[carterfinlay2]

what? we have rights?

please explain to me what rights exactly we have left? this from an arizona mother of five with none of her children with her because she supported her (innocent) boyfriend who is in jail now for 7months awaiting trial on a crime that he will surely be sentanced to for life, unless he can come up 50,000 for an attorney who will actually provide him with a defense. i despise our government, am embarrased to be called an american.

[john55440]

Florida - A National Joke

Leave it to Florida, a bastion of extremism, stupidity, and incompetence, to come up with something like this...

[ALandy25]

We're all Sex Criminals

I just seems relevant to point out that in Florida, like most
states, oral, anal, and just about any other kind of "impure" sex
is illegal. So I guess that means we should all be locked up?

People just need to get over themselves. If people think
sexuality is a moral or religious issue, then they need to
understand the concept of separation of church and state, and
dont apply their warped morals to everyone else. MORALS ARE
PERSONAL. IF I'M NOT HARMING ANYONE, LEAVE ME THE FCK
ALONE.

AND GET SOME FCKING COMMON SENSE.

-Damn Proud Florida Citizen

[krosavcheg]

Here here!

When exactly did they reach the conclusion that having sex, taking photos of yourself having sex or having those photos shown to anyone was "bad" in any conceivable way? Show me the scientific evidence. I say sex is no different than picking your nose or someone else's nose. It's not traumatic, it's not violence, it's not demeaning. It's not immoral. The psychological difficulties in relationships are part of being human and hurt just as bad at 14 as 44 if you don't have any way to reason it out and just have lifetime movies to explain your own emotions.

[krosavcheg]

They should be charged as Adults

They should be charged as Adults and rot in prison for creating this type of smut. No worry though God will smite them!

[Kasar99]

Makes no difference

They're screwed anyway. I'm sure they'll be registered sex offenders for the rest of their lives.

They'll always be looked at as potential child molesters when looking for work.

[DEBob19]

Smut?

The majority judge is just as pathetic and moronic as you Krosavcheg. "Appellant was simply too young to make an intelligent decision about engaging in sexual conduct and memorializing it. Mere production of these videos or pictures may also result in psychological trauma to the teenagers involved." -- There was nothing inherently unintelligent about the decision to take pictures of themselves, it's their business not yours, and not the courts to decide if it's smart or not. "May result in psychological trauma", or may result in pleasure as they (like many other people) enjoy looking at pictures of each other naked. Who f-ing cares. The judge isn't a psychologist, and it's obvious this is a loophole in the law, and not what the law was meant to do. It's not protecting anyone to rule in this way. Anyone who's researched the horrible problem that is child pornography knows that it's almost never a child selling their own pictures. Also, the judge's statement that computers can be hacked is so pathetic it's depressing. ANY ******* computer can be hacked, does that mean we shouldn't store anything important or valuable on them? NO.

[ufee]

You're insane.

Go move to Saudi Arabia. They have an ideal justice system for your ass.

[sosomodern]

Charged as adults? That's far from fair.

Sure, taking pictures of themselves partaking in sexual activities is wrong, but more or less, they weren't going to publicize the images.
They're children. They shouldn't have to rot in prison. They made a mistake. I'm sure you've made plenty.
And as far as god's concerned, he'll smite you for lack of compassion and understanding.

[gangalord]

Sinful!

excuse me for asking, but did you actually attend school? Where people get an education, and learn morals? Im sure that God won't smite them on the matter. If anybody, it will probably be you that is smitten due to your hatred. I'm sorry, but i find this comment childish and imprudent. Although, it is likely that you will not know what those words mean, as we have established that you did not recieve basic education.

[tealeavesgreen]

I call troll. No one is really that much of a gibbering idiot. Also, even if there ARE people that intellectually/educationally disadvantaged, the tone of "krosavcheg's" comment is very troll-like. Real fascist sect Christians would rant more, and probably include something to make themselves feel special.

[ufee]

No doubt.

It's stupid. If they register as sex offenders, they'll have to deal with this crap for the rest of their lives. And for what, taking a few pictures of themselves? Who did they harm?

[diddy0071]

so looking in the mirror...

while masturbating would be considered child pornography too if your under 18, since your seeing a person under the age of 18 masturbating.

[gangalord]

yes.

i agree, you make a fair point.

[Watchu_Got]

i'm addicted to porn (but i'm only 16)

yeah, i thought i'd just be blaitent with it. I mean seriously, what
teenage boy now-a-days doesn't watch/look at/ and/or get
porn some how?

I think all of us minors should start making porn sites of
ourselves and have that stupid "YOU MUST BE 18 OR OLDER TO
ENTER!" page as the first one you see, except it would be "YOU
MUST NOT BE 18 OR OLDER TO ENTER!". Yep, a minors only
website, anyone else and it's punishable by law.

But, on a more serious note: The judicial system shouldn't be
******' prosecuting us if we do this ****!! Supposedly,
"protecting" the victim: ********!. This would cause me more psychological damage than even the most embarrassing
school/social related thing that I could ever do!!! My life would
be ruined, forever.

I can't wait til some of my generation are the higher-ups in this
****: making all the decisions. Then, we'll finaly be able to right
the wrongs that have gone on for far to long.

[Watchu_Got]

sp errors

"blaiten"-blatant

oh, only one. :]

[titlemike]

Honorable Judge Padovano

My hat goes off to Honorable Judge Padovano. He seems to have the ability to be Judge. sincerily, titlemike.ws

[georgespindler]

The "Constitution is not a suicide pact" Jefferson I believe. We can all be guilty now. Let's build a prison for everyone. Who is the keeper?

[daisyriva]

I strongly believe that there is a certain amount of responsibility to our educators who are teaching children on the use of computers to learning appropriate use of such technology. Schools should be required to include the education of the consequences for engaging in such inappropriate activities; especially the long-term ramifications. Children need to become socially aware of the torment to a child victimized by taking photos that may be posted on the internet for the world to view. These children do not seem to realize that even if they agree to allow such photos to be taken that they may somehow fall into the wrong hands and even possibly years later appear on the internet affecting their lives scholastically, professionally and personally.

[Ebonybull]

Want to save these kids from themselves. destroy the photos and put them in a diversion program through juvenile probation, not prosecute them.

[tyciol]

Neil Gaiman says this case is ridiculous: http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2008/12/why-defend-freedom-of-icky-speech.html