Vermont Considers Legalizing Teen 'Sexting'

[star-warrior]

Assuming you were 13 and you sent a picture of yourself to a 17 yo and they kept it.

You're now 16 and the other person is 20. They still have your picture.

Does that mean that they are in possession of child pornography?

 

[TickTockMan]

More than likely, seeing as how the picture is of a 13-year-old. What possible use would a 20-year-old have for a 13-year-old's naked pictures unless they were whacking off to it?

Art.

 

[TickTockMan]

I fail to see how cellphone pictures could ever be considered artistic.

I have seen some very beautiful pictures taken with a cell phone. When that is all one has, that is what one uses. Not everyone has a Nikon. A nude photo is only sexual if the viewer sees it as such. If one of these pictures were taken as a joke and sent to a boyfriend as such, it is only a joke. If it is sent to turn them on it may or may not. If someone like me who collects nude art sees it it may be nothing more than art.

It is only child porn if people see it as such.

I am going to send you two PMs to show you what I mean. I will then check with the mods to see if what I send would be allowed on the site.

 

[star-warrior]

I wholly applaud the fact that the legislature is trying to decriminalise the practice between the kids.

But like the scenario I outlined earlier, you don't know what will happen to them later.

He who should not be named but was jailed last year for kiddie porn posted many pictures of himself, and his friends on here, and probably elsewhere. It is precisely the fact that they can keep on to your pictures for whatever reasons that is worrying.

A time clause must be included that once you reach 18, the pictures of minors that you have kept should be erased, unless the full penalty of child porn laws are imposed on you.

But, even if it was pased, the problem is the policing of such things. It would become an undetected crime until there was a search of data storage systems at the person's home. But how many young teens and early adults are aware of the law in such matters? Or care, even?

 

[star-warrior]

There's been many people BUSTED for child porn whereas the person in the picture was legal (even 'old') at the time of the bust. The picture was yrs old.

Whether or not the picture was old, if it depicts a minor in a state of aroused undress, it will have sexual connotations, therefore it would fit a description of child porn.

 

[Alpha1851]

Vermont is legalizing underage sex???? Violates USC section 18 so Vermont could actually be sued by the feds...child porno is aggressively prosecuted in the US. I don't think ANY state wants that kind of scrutiny subjecting it to criminal proceedings...

I'm not really sure what you mean here. Consent laws differ from state to state. In some states, a minor under the age of X cannot consent to sex and it's actually illegal for the kid to have sex ("sex" of course is defined however the state chooses. Oral sex may/sodomy/intercourse/whatever may or may not be included). In some states, the age of consent is X, but it's not a crime for the two kids to have sex so long as their both under the age of X. In some states, it's not a crime so long as both kids are under the age of X and are not more than X years between them (ie Consent is 16. Neither child is 16, but the girl is 15 and the boy is 13 might be legal. If the girl is 15 and the boy is 8 then it might be illegal).

Yeah I missed it ... seems like this thread is in a way advocating sex with children.

I'm uncertain where you got that. The VT law involves kids w/ kids.

Something I've noticed about some gay men, is that they can't discuss children and sex at all w/o being afraid of the pedo issue or making pedo accusations. It's like they're terrified of the topic and they take it out of context and turn it into something sinister. This isn't about adults molesting kids. No one wants to hand our babies over to monsters. We're discussing criminalizing the act of one underage child sending a cell phone pic of their nude body to another underage child. It's a consensual exchange btwn two children who should probably be studying for school rather than looking at pics of their gf or bf.

 

[Harke the Boeotarch]

Aren´t there more pressing matters for the legislators to attend to?

 

[TickTockMan]

Something I've noticed about some gay men, is that they can't discuss children and sex at all w/o being afraid of the pedo issue or making pedo accusations. It's like they're terrified of the topic and they take it out of context and turn it into something sinister. This isn't about adults molesting kids. No one wants to hand our babies over to monsters. We're discussing criminalizing the act of one underage child sending a cell phone pic of their nude body to another underage child. It's a consensual exchange btwn two children who should probably be studying for school rather than looking at pics of their gf or bf.

Its not just gay men. Its most people.

 

[TickTockMan]

Aren´t there more pressing matters for the legislators to attend to?

Its not like they work on one bill at a time.

 

[Harke the Boeotarch]

Its not like they work on one bill at a time.

Even then.

 

[Alpha1851]

Its not just gay men. Its most people.

I disagree. I've never met a group of people who go straight to pedo as quickly as gay men. It's like a witch hunt. That's just my life experiences and your's, of course, could be totally different.

 

[TickTockMan]

I disagree. I've never met a group of people who go straight to pedo as quickly as gay men. It's like a witch hunt. That's just my life experiences and your's, of course, could be totally different.

Because of my interests I post a lot on forums dealing with sexuality. I also talk to a lot of people in person. Also for the past few years I have counseled people having to do with sexual issues and it seems most go to it fairly quickly. I have my theories why, but I won’t get into that here. I do think it would explain both of our thoughts though.

 

[Apollo]

What was the point? Yeah I missed it ... seems like this thread is in a way advocating sex with children.

No it isn't, it is stopping kids getting charged as a sexual offender (which effectively ruins their lives before they finish high school) because they are looking at the naked body of a person who is most likely the same age as they are. I mean, if we want to do that, might as well charge all teens as sexual offenders for simply having sex. I mean, they ARE having sex, and they are viewing a naked body of a underaged person, even though they are the same age.

This is actually protecting the CHILDREN from a overzealous law. Now if a 20 year old man is getting text messages of a naked 16 year old, then by all means, charge his ass up the wall.

 

[Apollo]

Well you are entitled to your opinion - I disagree - It doesn't protect children and the law isn't overzealous as you put it (whatever an overzealous law could be in this case as this is also a public safelty isssue). If anything the law should be strengthened in juvenile criminal code..Child porno is pretty clear and the age applicability to "common age group" is not defensible under statute although juvenile code is always ambiguous on this there's precedent where criminal actions can be brought against the family by majeure or ad litem..
So - no - your assumption about age bias is wrong and your example of the 20 year old is irrelevant though correct of course.

Well then time to round up all the teenagers and throw them in jail and charge them as sex offenders. I mean, they are having underaged sex, and seeing a underaged body right before their eyes. Hell, their even having sex with that other underaged person. Clearly he/she is raping he/she, I guess it doesn't matter that they are both the exact same age, but ok.

You can't stop underaged sex, and you won't be able to stop underaged sexting. And the child porn laws are only going to ruin the childrens lives instead of protecting them. They must exist, but you also gotta use your brain.

 

[Jeimuzu]

If I had a 13yo child and an 18yo was sending him/her nude pictures I would want legal recourse.

I personally believe in a law for all 13-18yo where sex is allowed with someone within maybe 2 years age difference? So 13 year olds could have sex with 15 year olds, but a 17 year old couldn't have sex with a 13 year old.

 

[Apollo]

I personally believe in a law for all 13-18yo where sex is allowed with someone within maybe 2 years age difference? So 13 year olds could have sex with 15 year olds, but a 17 year old couldn't have sex with a 13 year old.

lol i wonder who is going to regulate all this?

 

[TickTockMan]

"...time to round up all the teenagers and throw them in jail and charge them as sex offenders.."

Now come on - no one is suggesting that. It's not exactly commonplace anyway. Your sarcasm is noted. lol ... No - you can't stop underage sex. But I question now discussing it at all here. We are all adults and this is a gay-oriented site. So - I'm just going to say this sort of discussion may be inappropraite to this site and may be against the terms of the site. There must be better forums out there to discuss this subject. In my opinion (again) the laws are there for a reason and it doesn't matter the source of the material. It is underage material and it's illegal to use any technology to transmit it in any way. That's section 18 stuff and yes it is part of the USC (Criminal code)...children's lives are not being ruined at all - in fact the laws are designed to protect them. There's no ambiguity there.

The thing about it is adults are the ones that make the laws. You are making it sound like talking about it in any sense makes you a pedophile - it doesn’t. You say this is a “gay-oriented” site like it matters to the discussion, but it only matters if you are the type of person that believes all GLBT people are pedophiles. Kids are just keeping with the times. They are doing the same as we did before them and our parents before us.

This is an important topic to talk about, but yet it is a topic most shy away from out of fear or an uneasiness that many have when it comes to children and sexuality, etc. You talk about section 18, but it seems that you forget that the U.S. has the oldest living Constitution in the world. By talking about “it”, “it” can be changed. Keep in mind what section 18 outlaws was not illegal all that long ago. Keep in mind biologically a thirteen year old is an adult by being fully sexually mature. Its only uneasiness that makes most think of them as kids.

All of that aside, where else would it be more appropriate to talk about sexuality than on a site for and about sexuality? After all something is only sexual if that is how you see it. I am not a dendrophiliac so talking about and seeing trees does nothing for me. Saying we can’t talk about pedophilia is saying nothing less than we are all pedophiles. Honestly I think that is where most of the uneasiness comes from. By definition most of us are. Unless you only like those older than you or can always tell the difference between an eighteen year old and a seventeen year old (or whatever the age may be) every time, then by definition you are.

Like most things this thread is about a lot more than what is being talked about.