Northville Attorney: Sexting a 'Rampant Problem'

A Northville attorney offers some advice to area teenagers and their parents about the dangers of sexting, which she says is becoming “a rampant problem” in many area high schools.

In Rochester, for example, several area teens could face felony charges for sexting nude pictures of themselves.

In a post on the Observer & Eccentric, Northville Michele Kelly said teens under 18 may think sharing nude photos is harmless, “but they are wrong.”

“Sexting has serious social, emotional and legal consequences,” Kelly wrote. “If sexually explicit comments are made through text, this is not unlawful. A photograph showing nudity of a person under the age 18 is a criminal act and a felony in Michigan.

She said child pornography laws did not anticipate a future issue in which electronic dissemination of inappropriate photographs between teens would be treated as serious criminal penalties.

Related:

• Rochester Area Teens Could Face Felonies for Sexting
• Teen’s Nude Selfie Sets Off 5-Year Nightmare

“A 40-year-old pedophile collecting pictures of naked children and a teenage kid making a dumb decision to forward a picture of his bare bottom can both be prosecuted for child pornography,” she wrote.

Her post outlines criminal acts involving sexting, and scenarios that might result in criminal charges.

» Read the full post on the Observer & Eccentric.

_____

Photo via Shutterstock