Florida Legislature Wants to Put Teens Who Sext More Than Four Times Behind Bars for Five Years

By Kyle Munzenrieder Tue., Mar. 23 2010 at 12:09 PM

Categories: Politicks

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A bill that defines sexting as its own distinct crime is gliding through the Florida House. While the bill would shield horny teens from harsher child pornography laws, repeat offenders could wind up in jail for up to five years.

The bill defines sexting as the use of "a computer or any other device capable of electronic data transmission or distribution, to transmit or distribute to another person any photograph of him/herself which depicts nudity and is harmful to minors" or the possession of "a photo or video that was transmitted or distributed by another minor."

Teens sending a nip slip or cock shot will get eight hours of community service and a $25 fine for the first offense. A second time nets a minor 60 days in jail and a $500 fine; a third offense brings a year in jail and a $1,000 fine. If you get caught a fourth time, the crime becomes a third-degree felony, which carries a maximum of five years in jail and a $5,000 fine.

Sigh. Kids today, with all of their technology and unrestrained horniness. Can't they just get their exhibitionism out the way we used to? Which was to have the creepy guy hanging around the 7-Eleven get you a six-pack of Mike's Hard Lemonade, and then plan to "accidentally" flash everyone in the hot tub during Tommy Jacobson's next party when his parents are out of town.

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I hope this bill gets passed quickly. This is the second time I have had a child be charged with it when one of her little "friends" gets pissed off about her stealing their "boyfriend". Now I have a moronic mother who claims my daughter texted the picture of her daughter giving head to some kid, (you cant see either face)and my 15 year old is looking at 5 yrs and ruining her college scholarships? Get real. This is NOT the parents fault, either. It's technology, Bill Gates and the horny "stars" of TV and Congress who keep this kind of flaming sexuality in the news that our kids read, watch on TV, etc. The schools say make your kids read the newspaper, what do they see? John Edwards, Tiger "Beat" Woods, and numerous others. Our kids follow their elders. Before you say it is the fault of the kids, try being one for a week, it is alot different today than it was even 10 years ago. Keep the government out of my phone, my bed and my kids beds. If I have a problem, I will call them, not them forcing my kid into no future at all. The kids are only hurting themselves. If it involves over 18 y/o, then let the standards ride.
who gives a fuck. As long as teens know that doing this can get them and the opposite in trouble then i say let them have at it. my daughter is old enough that she knows that when she uses her phone if she sends anything that is not meant for the world to see then she is grounded from her phone or i have the choice of breaking the phone and she wont have one unless she buys it.so come on people grow up get a life and let them act like kids if they get in trouble then they do .if they cant see the other then its there own damn fault.
What the hell are teenagers doing with cell phones anyway? I didn't get a cell phone till I was 19, and I was the one who bought it and paid for the service! I can understand why kids in their early teens need cell phones! And the parents need to step fucking in and teach their damn kids what is right and wrong to do at their age! My old man caught me looking at porn all the fucking time, and he whooped my ass for it. Kids will be kids, they will find ways to look at porn, but when they are sending naked photos of themselves around, that shit could end up on the internet for anyone and everyone to see... Bottom line, parents need to start taking a more active role in their kid's lives, and if they NEED a cell phone, tell them to get a fucking job so they can rack up huge phone bills sexting on their own dime, not yours.
Wow big brother is cracking down. whats next fuckin Capatel punishment for makeing a pass at a women. the future looks grim people.
@Nick that girl would be Miley Cyrus lol...this is would be bs if it passed.Since when did a picture hurt someone enough to go to jail.
The girl in that picture can sext me anytime!
Just what we need, more government intervention. ugh~
Anybody who thinks it's a good idea to throw teenagers in jail for five years for sending naughty pictures to one another needs a serious reality check.
@mathew I wish your parents had spent less time demonizing sex, and more time teaching you how to read and write. Sex is beautiful, and it is very natural for teenagers to explore their sexuality. This law only confirms what we all know: Florida is messed up.
i think this is a dam good idea as parents today are so irresponsible with there kids, they work all day and dont give a crap what there kids do so, they end up doibng drugs or sexting each other or getting really pissed, it is not the kids fault it is the f'n parents who dont do there jobs and only worry about earning enough money to put a roof over there heads, "who gives a dam what the kids get up to". Now a governemnt is saying no we will step in and do what the parents are incapable of doing. Children need discipline and the parents arent doing that.
@NancyBeyond I hope you're being sarcastic. But I have a feeling you're not. Think about it, did you ever do anything stupid when you were a teen? This is nothing more than putting teens in jail for the kinds of stuff that teens have always done. Sure, it's really stupid, but how can someone be jailed for taking pictures of their own body. Do we own our bodies or not? That is what this is really about, who owns our bodies, us or the government? This should be dealt with by the parents of these teens, not turned into a criminal matter. It's annoying busybodies like you who are turning us into a fascist nanny state, and I wish all of you would just go start your own country instead of forcing your views on the rest of us.
Porn is porn regardless of where it comes from. This is a great idea for FL and other states should just follow suit!
Conservatives love to talk about "freedom", but that freedom only extends to Big Business, preventing any accountability that might impinge on profit taking. When it comes to individual PEOPLE, they can't stop finding more and more ways to control us, and won't stop until this country looks like Afghanistan under the Taliban!
Yeah, the US seems to be getting crazier and crazier everyday. Those conservatives (who end up being pedos/perverts in a lot of cases) are getting more retarded as time goes on.
In the hot-tub with minors accidental non-sexual touching is 75 years in prison in Arizona for first offense, non-violent. Sounds like Florida is not far behind.
What did you think was going to happen when the "big corporations" cell phone companies jammed photo-cell phones down our throats? There should be FULL DISCLOSURE on the contract when cell phones with cameras are sold, listing the liabilities to the owners who could be family or friends. FOLLOW THE MONEY... tired of failed Bush policies taking the peoples' rights away. FL wants a school-to-prison pipeline.
Florida is no place for families or children. They have the most dysfunctional juvenile system in the country. The angry old white men who pass the laws need to retire and leave something for Florida's future. They had their's in the back seat of a car and their women had to endure back-alley abortions but it's OK they have their affairs and oops, I'm sorry.