"Statutory Rape and Teen "Sexting" Laws: The Consequences of Poorly Crafted Legislation"

[Delta4Embassy]

Statutory Rape and Teen Sexting Laws The Consequences of Poorly Crafted Legislation - Student Pulse

"Child pornography laws are primarily drawn from the "Protection of Children Against Sexual Exploitation Act" of 1977. This act targets persons who “transport, ship, receive, distribute, or reproduce child pornography” but precludes minors because they are the subjects of the pornography (Cornwell, 2013). Technology has certainly changed in the 40 years since the penning of this legislation. Many adolescents now have access to smartphones that, among other things, enable them to privately take and send sexually suggestive pictures and messages, or ‘sexts.’ Technically, this is in violation of child pornography laws.

While the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Roper v. Simmons (2005) that adolescents are less criminally responsible than adults due to their “immaturity, transitory identity, and susceptibility to peer and environmental influences” there are many cases of teens being prosecuted more harshly than adults for statutory rape and sexting offenses."

rest at link. Excellent article.

 

[Muhammed]

Whenever I hear about statutory "rape" cases I think about the first time I got laid. I was 12 years old, we played spin the bottle, and I screwed my soon to be girlfriend in the back of a 1973 Chevy station wagon that was parked in my parents' garage.

Was I raped?

 

[Delta4Embassy]

Whenever I hear about statutory "rape" cases I think about the first time I got laid. I was 12 years old, we played spin the bottle, and I screwed my soon to be girlfriend in the back of a 1973 Chevy station wagon that was parked in my parents' garage.

Was I raped?

By modern standards, most of our early sexual experiences were criminal acts. Probably had more sex before turning 18 than since.