Whatever Next In The Land Of The Free ?

[Canary42]

Recording an image of yourself in the altogether is illegal in "The Land of the Free".

COMING SOON - Cover up that mirror in your bedroom/bathroom before you take your clothes off or you will be prosecuted.

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/us-teen-prosecuted-having-naked-164259058.html#DXuFNSJ

[pastafreak]

*pasta shakes head in complete bafflement*

[scorpiojo]

??????

[mikey4444]

Not quite sure what this boy has done wrong ?

[Svejk]

Good. These kids need protecting,,,,,,from themselves.

[Baldric]

///The young man, from Fayetteville, North Carolina was prosecuted under child pornography laws for sexually exploiting a minor. Himself///

[andy-hughes]

Well, there's nothing like sewing the seeds early in teenagers minds that the state really is a thoughtless machine that operates in a Kafka-esque alternative universe and likes to put the fear of God into its young people, and potentially affect their lives and careers by publishing this teenage indiscretion.

How the law regarding exploitation of a minor can be seen to be being applied fairly is utterly bizarre!

Teenagers have phones, phones have cameras, teenagers are curious about their developing bodies - it's simply bound to happen, but that does not and should not make it a crime.

I think whomever set this disgraceful set of circumstances in motion - be it the school or the authorities - should be totally ashamed of themselves.

It is giving an impression that natural teenage curiosity is somehow wrong, and indeed illegal, and that is a dreadful message to send out.

[andy-hughes]

Svejk - //Good. These kids need protecting,,,,,,from themselves.//

If you would be kind enough to read my post, and then come back and advise exactly what sort of 'protection' this is offering to the teenagers in question?

[Svejk]

I always read everything you say, andy.
In my, not so, humble opinion, anyone that takes naked pictures of themselves is a bit of a pervert. If they must they should keep them under lock and key. After all, you wouldn't want some dirty old man flashing at you on the canal bank, would you?

[Sqad]

Well......I thought that taking a photograph of yourself, or any body else for that matter, exposing the genitalia and posting it on the www. WAS illegal in the UK.

Am I wrong?

[mikey4444]

As far as I can see from the link, he hadn't shared this image with anyone else, so I still can't quite see what he has done wrong. He has been a tad unwise, I will accept, but I can't see that that he has committed an offence.

[pastafreak]

Sqad...he had not "shared" the images. Also,this was in the US,not here in the UK. I should think if you and Mrs sqad took photos of each other for each other,you'd not expect to have the proverbial book thrown at you.

[Svejk]

It was obviously seen by others.

[Sqad]

pasta.....I know! I know! it was in the USofA, my point was that i thought that it was illegal in the UK, so what was the big deal in the Us of A.

So, you think that those photographs were not on the WWW.......you may be right.......I rather doubt it.

[Baldric]

From the Link (yet again)

///Copening had not shared the images of himself or his girlfriend///

[andy-hughes]

Svejk - //I always read everything you say, andy.//

Thank you - I am flattered!

// In my, not so, humble opinion, anyone that takes naked pictures of themselves is a bit of a pervert. If they must they should keep them under lock and key. //

I don't agree. Teenagers are curious, and modern times mean that they have access to media that allow them to take photographs that were denied to previous generations. if you give a curious teenager a chance to take pictures of their body, they will take it. Does that make them a pervert? No, it makes them curious, nothing more sinister than that.

//After all, you wouldn't want some dirty old man flashing at you on the canal bank, would you?//

I am not sure there is a link between taking photos of yourself on your own phone and sharing them with someone who, under the law, you could be free to enjoy a consensual sexual relationship with, and dirty old men flashing on canal banks.

The only reason why that may happen is because this young man has been identified to the media and punished by his school, and the legal system.

I think its an appalling message to send to young people, that they will be criminalised for behaviour that is, at worst, misjudged.

[pastafreak]

The article said they were not shared...I assume it's easy enough to discover if a photo has been posted on a site,sent as an attachment or loaded to a site like photobucket.

[andy-hughes]

Sqad - //Well......I thought that taking a photograph of yourself, or any body else for that matter, exposing the genitalia and posting it on the www. WAS illegal in the UK.

Am I wrong? //

No, you are not wrong - except this is in the U.S. and the pictures haven't been posted anywhere.

[andy-hughes]

divebuddy - //Whatever we may think of this rather bizarre case, the "authorities" have sent out a very clear message to all those who think it is OK to have explicit photos on their phone. This lad also had pic(s) of his girlfriend by the way. //

Do you really imagine that young people don't take pictures of themselves and share them with their partners? Of course, they do, and they will continue to do so - that should not make them criminals!