Teen Sexting

NC Teen Sexting Case Gets National Attention

Two North Carolina teens are drawing attention to sexting, selfies and child porn. The teens are accused of being both the victims and perpetrators of child pornography. How's that you ask? The teens — boyfriend and girlfriend who were 16 at the time (17 now) — each texted nude selfies to each other. In North Carolina, sharing nude images of a person under 18 falls under child pornography, but in North Carolina anyone over age 16 can be charged as an adult. So basically the kids who took pictures of themselves to share with each other suddenly were being charged for creating pornography of themselves. 

It's brought to light a quirk in the law regarding digital communication, teens, selfies, and child pornography, and once again brings to the forefront why teens need to be wise and aware before they share "inappropriate" selfies. Hormones run wild, but sexting can land a teen in jail or at least a lot of legal troubles, not to mention the psychological trauma it can create.

I received the following info in an email from the Enough is Enough group: "The National Center for Psychological Trauma at University Medical Center Utrecht has noted a steep increase in the number of young people they treat for mental health problems related to being blackmailed with nude photos sent during sexting. … Most of these victims are between 14 and 17 years old and a higher percentage of them are females."

And this: "The common example of sexting blackmail for a girl is when an ex-boyfriend threatens to share videos or photos he has saved from texting if she does not continue to follow his demands." (Similar to what happened last year with "inappropriate" texts that some girls in north Mecklenburg County had sent guys they trusted). "Completely distraught about the idea of her photos being shared publicly, the girl usually complies and then spirals downwards into depression, self-blame and self-mutilation. Did you know that this act of blackmail is also categorized as a criminal act by the FBI? It's called "sextortion." 

I'm going out on limb here, but I don't think most teens realize the legal consequences that can come with sexting. It's our job as parents to let them know! Protect them from "sextortion" and psychological ramifications that could follow them for a lifetime. Enough is Enough recommends parents do the following:

• Supervise your child's computer or mobile device usage.
• Employing basic security measures on all technology.
• Cover webcams with removable tape when not in use.

And if you think your child would never do such a thing, well why leave it to chance. Have the talk.