BY: Mariya Guzova
You may be surprised to learn that in Colorado, teens can currently be charged with distributing child pornography if they are caught sexting. The offense could force them to register as sex offenders, and face house arrest, probation, or detention in a juvenile centre.
Last November, a high school in Colorado was involved in a huge sexting scandal that gained major press coverage. Canon City High School uncovered that its students were trading around nude images of each other like baseball cards, and many students had hundreds of nudes in their phones. Half of the football team at the high school was involved in the scandal, and they were forced to forfeit their final game as punishment. But they are also currently under criminal investigation, and the teens could face felony charges.
The law has stirred a lot of controversy, and many judges don’t feel right charging teens with child pornography, especially when it’s become clear that sexting is a widespread part of the modern teenage experience. It isn’t just a few bad eggs in a Colorado high school, but rather the new reality of being a sexually explorative teenager in the 21st century.
That’s why a new bill is being proposed to lessen the charge of the offense to a minor misdemeanor. Furthermore, the bill changes the offense from sexting to “misuse of images”, with the intention to change the punishable aspect of the phenomenon from the actual sexting to the negative consequences that may occur as a result.
Canon City DA Thom LeDeux said after the CCHS sexting scandal, “it’s important that parents and students understand that the mere possession of these materials does constitute an ongoing crime.”
Revenge porn, sexual harassment and sharing images without permission are all amongst some of the grievances experienced by teens that engage in sexting. This is partly because the sexual education provided to teens is yet to be modernized and teach kids about online sexual safety.
Some people are concerned, however, that the lesser charge could lead to an increase in prosecutions. More kids being charged may not send them a healthy message, nor teach them about respect, healthy sexuality, or online safety.
