14-year old sex offender

[l0rd]

Updated Friday, March 27th 2009, 2:38 AM

 

 

 

TRENTON - A 14-year-old New Jersey girl has been accused of child pornography after posting nearly 30 explicit nude pictures of herself on MySpace.com charges that could force her to register as a sex offender if convicted.

 

 

 

The case comes as prosecutors nationwide pursue child pornography cases resulting from kids sending nude photos to one another over cell phones and e-mail. Legal experts, though, could not recall another case of a child porn charge resulting from a teens posting to a social networking site.

 

 

 

MySpace would not comment on the New Jersey investigation, but the company has a team that reviews its network for inappropriate images. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children tipped off a state task force, which alerted the Passaic County Sheriffs Office.

 

 

 

The office investigated and discovered the Clifton resident had posted the very explicit photos of herself, sheriffs spokesman Bill Maer said Thursday.

 

 

 

We consider this case a wake-up call to parents, Maer said. The girl posted the photos because she wanted her boyfriend to see them, he said.

 

 

 

Investigators are looking at individuals who knowingly committed a crime, he said, declining to comment further because the case is still being investigated.

 

 

 

The teen, whose name has not been released because of her age, was arrested and charged with possession of child pornography and distribution of child pornography. She was released to her mothers custody.

 

 

 

If convicted of the distribution charge, she would be forced to register with the state as a sex offender under Megans Law, said state Attorney General Anne Milgram. She also could face up to 17 years in jail, though such a stiff sentence is unlikely.

 

 

 

Some observers - including the New Jersey mother behind the creation of Megans Law are criticizing the trend of prosecuting teens who send racy text messages or post illicit photos of themselves.

 

 

 

Maureen Kanka - whose daughter, Megan, became the laws namesake after she was raped and killed at age 7 in 1994 by a twice-convicted sex offender - blasted authorities for charging the 14-year-old girl.

 

 

 

The teen needs help, not legal trouble, she said.

 

 

 

This shouldnt fall under Megans Law in any way, shape or form. She should have an intervention and counseling, because the only person she exploited was herself.

 

 

 

Called sexting when its done by cell phone, teenagers habit of sending sexually suggestive photos of themselves and others to one another is a nationwide problem that has confounded parents, school administrators and law enforcers.

 

 

 

Prosecutors in states including Pennsylvania, Connecticut, North Dakota, Ohio, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin have tried stop it by charging teens who send and receive the pictures.

 

 

 

In northeastern Pennsylvania, a prosecutor recently threatened to file child porn charges against three teenage girls who authorities say took racy cell-phone pictures that ended up on classmates cell phones.

 

 

 

The MySpace case may be a first, though.

 

 

 

Im not sure Ive seen a prosecution like this coming out of a social networking site, said Seth Kreimer, a constitutional law professor at the University of Pennsylvania.

 

 

 

Milgram, the attorney general, could not recall another such case in New Jersey. She cautioned parents to get on those sites and monitor what their kids are talking about and posting.

 

 

 

Unfortunately, youth dont have the same judgment as adults, she said, and often, adults dont have the same technical savvy as the youth.

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2009/03 ... ex_of.html

[baalboy5]

Wow She was stupid, you dont post yourself nude on the internet, espically MYSPACE and at that age you think she would know better. :wall:

[angryjoe]

At least she knows what career she wants at this early age. :thumbup:

[ProtoGuy]

At least she knows what career she wants at this early age. :thumbup:

 

That's terrible and I still laughed. XD

[Faux]

I don't see anything wrong with this

[hellbellz]

That's just hilarious. She shouldn't have been an idiot and posted them on Myspace. Secondly, I'm not sure how she'd be considered a sex offender, that's stupid.

[Star.]

Maureen Kanka - whose daughter, Megan, became the laws namesake after she was raped and killed at age 7 in 1994 by a twice-convicted sex offender - blasted authorities for charging the 14-year-old girl.

 

The 14 year old girl is an idiot, she's just setting herself up for a pedophile but this is what interested me in this article. :|

[Skull]

I don't get why she didn't just e-mail them...

 

 

 

And if that makes you a sex offender, then there are plenty of sex offenders in my school.

[mmmcannibalism]

Its ridiculous that they are charging her with child pornography. I was under the impression(and belief) that child pornography required you to be over a given age(probably age of consent) and distributing pictures of younger juveniles. To rephrase, how is anything she did wrong in anything but a stupid idea sense?

[Racheya]

Its ridiculous that they are charging her with child pornography. I was under the impression(and belief) that child pornography required you to be over a given age(probably age of consent) and distributing pictures of younger juveniles. To rephrase, how is anything she did wrong in anything but a stupid idea sense?

 

Uhhh no. Child Porno is like... the most illegalist sexytime thing ever.

 

 

 

Meh. If she wants to go be a [bleep] then it's her own damn fault - she needs being told that it's a stupid thing to do but she aint really a sex offender. Just a horny teenage girl. #-o

[mmmcannibalism]

Its ridiculous that they are charging her with child pornography. I was under the impression(and belief) that child pornography required you to be over a given age(probably age of consent) and distributing pictures of younger juveniles. To rephrase, how is anything she did wrong in anything but a stupid idea sense?

 

Uhhh no. Child Porno is like... the most illegalist sexytime thing ever.

 

 

 

Meh. If she wants to go be a [bleep] then it's her own damn fault - she needs being told that it's a stupid thing to do but she aint really a sex offender. Just a horny teenage girl. #-o

 

 

 

Let me clarify that, Its clearly and rightly illegal for adults to deal in child pornography, and to a lesser extent illegal for anyone underage to distribute images of other people. My question is why is it illegal for her to post nude picture of herself.

[l0rd]

Its ridiculous that they are charging her with child pornography. I was under the impression(and belief) that child pornography required you to be over a given age(probably age of consent) and distributing pictures of younger juveniles. To rephrase, how is anything she did wrong in anything but a stupid idea sense?

 

Uhhh no. Child Porno is like... the most illegalist sexytime thing ever.

 

 

 

Meh. If she wants to go be a [bleep] then it's her own damn fault - she needs being told that it's a stupid thing to do but she aint really a sex offender. Just a horny teenage girl. #-o

 

 

 

child pornography means any visual depiction, including any photograph, film, video, picture, or computer or computer-generated image or picture, whether made or produced by electronic, mechanical, or other means, of sexually explicit conduct, where

 

(A) the production of such visual depiction involves the use of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct;

 

(B) such visual depiction is a digital image, computer image, or computer-generated image that is, or is indistinguishable from, that of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct; or

 

© such visual depiction has been created, adapted, or modified to appear that an identifiable minor is engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

 

 

 

 

I find it stupid people saying "oh shes not a sex offender! c'mon!". By law, she will be a sex offender if convicted. When looking at such situations you really need to not let your biases or emotions get in the way.

 

 

 

She did produce child pornography, and therefor has the possibility of being convicted for a sexual related offense - making her a sexual offender.

[FlameHawk18]

Future Current Jailbait of America :thumbup:

[rangeor]

Must suck for her, being called a child and all. I remember when I was 14 I wanted to act like an adult!

[Barihawk]

That's just hilarious. She shouldn't have been an idiot and posted them on Myspace. Secondly, I'm not sure how she'd be considered a sex offender, that's stupid.

 

 

 

She would be considered a sex offender because she is uploading sexual-oriented pictures of a minor on the internet for others to download. That she got charged for posting her own pictures is a technicality, but still falls under the law.

[doomy]

I can get it in the way that people might see these photos accidentaly and whatever, but 17 years seems very OTT for something like this.

[One Too Far]

No pics no prove i guess? :thumbsup:

 

 

 

On a more serious note: Dumb of her to post it on such a site, but it's even stranger for her to get a jail sentence for it. Like the mom said, she needs help.

[mmmcannibalism]

Just another thought on this

 

 

 

Child pornography is illegal because it is exploiting children correct?

 

 

 

Stabbing someone is illegal because it is infringing upon their rights correct?

 

 

 

Is stabbing yourself illegal? no, because your allowed to infringe upon your own rights

 

 

 

If she was sending along pictures of other underage children I would start to consider light charges, and its a given that legal codes need to catch up to addressing things such as the distribution of child pornography that was initially created with the subjects allowance. While this girl is showing a lack of self restraint, I see no harm she caused to anyone else and therefore conclude this should not be illegal.

[Lenticular_J]

Stupid. Just because she's a [bleep]. Now she'll develop some drug habit even earlier. Nice job.

 

 

 

I'm surprised at some of the naivety here. But, not the first time. My sister was surprised kids at my school deal drugs. And that fewer than four or five people I know well enough to know are virgins.

[Mylez]

It's one of those things in life which isn't nice, isn't something to joke about yet still exists.

 

 

 

While 14 may be 2 years below the age of consent, or more in other counties - the fact that she took nude pictures of herself isn't that big of a deal. Even having sex at the age of 14 isn't the end of the world. It's merely irresponisble and these people should know better, however they don't. And for that I blame both the parents, and the education system in general. I wont go into any real detail as to why, pretty obvious really. :)

[Lenticular_J]

All education would do is get people to use condoms 15% of the time instead of 5%. I don't know anybody who keeps condoms relatively readily available. And I'm a virgin.

 

 

 

Kids my age are horny little [bleep]s, dontcha know.

[FlameHawk18]

No pics no prove i guess? :thumbsup:

 

 

 

On a more serious note: Dumb of her to post it on such a site, but it's even stranger for her to get a jail sentence for it. Like the mom said, she needs help.

 

 

 

Well, some people on /b/ were trying to find the profile. :-k

[Zierro]

Who are the people making these stupid laws up? Old people who don't have anything to worry about because their sex life already ended? I think child molestation and rape are horrible because there is no consent involved, but taking a picture of your own body? Putting her in the same category as these people is far too harsh.

[rakaminko]

I live in the same town as this offender!! I think I know exactly who it is. This is crazy, it was the talk of school today and yesterday. She really has changed

[l0rd]

Who are the people making these stupid laws up? Old people who don't have anything to worry about because their sex life already ended? I think child molestation and rape are horrible because there is no consent involved, but taking a picture of your own body? Putting her in the same category as these people is far too harsh.

 

 

 

It is us who "put her in this harsh category"

 

 

 

We have such a harsh connotation with "sex offender" that we don't realize things like this should warrant such a title. The media and other sources that define peoples morals create this image of a sex offender as a middle-aged guy raping a 15 year old girl he meets on Myspace.

 

 

 

I live in the same town as this offender!! I think I know exactly who it is. This is crazy, it was the talk of school today and yesterday. She really has changed

 

 

 

rofl? you know this girl?

 

 

 

Tell us more....