High School QB Charged Over Naked Pics ... of Himself

[Nithavela]

http://www.newser.com/story/213136/teen-charged-with-having-naked-photos-of-himself.html

An American teenager had nude photos of him and his girlfriend on his smartphone—which is legal, right? Not in North Carolina, where authorities slapped Cormega Copening, 17, with felony charges and did the same for his 16-year-old girlfriend, Brianna Denson, who had nude photos of herself on her phone, the Guardian reports. Their crime: "sexting" illicit material while under the age of 18, ABC 11 reports. The kicker: They were old enough to be charged as adults in North Carolina, but young enough to be considered sexually exploitable minors, so Copening and Denson were both the adult perpetrators and underage victims. And Copening, who was suspended as quarterback of his high school football team over the charges, could have been considered a sex offender for life, Fox News reports.

"You can be labeled a convicted sex offender as an adult at the age of 16, but you are a minor by being under the age of 18 to commit the offense in the first place," says an attorney in Raleigh. "It really makes terrible sense logically but that's the way the law is written." And North Carolina isn't alone: While 20 states have so-called "Romeo and Juliet" laws to ensure that teen lovers aren't prosecuted for swapping photos, 30 others don't provide such leeway. Indeed, authorities in Copening's case saw no way out: "We have no choice," explains a sheriff's sergeant. "The easiest way for the state to fix it is just to treat everyone under 18 as a minor." As for Copening and Denson, they can each get their record expunged by completing the terms of probation, which includes no cell phones for a year, WRAL reports.

 

[seashale76]

It sounds ridiculous, but in most school districts in the states that have these laws, students are informed yearly that such things can land them in a legal quagmire. I would have a difficult time believing any under 18 that attempted to claim ignorance about this law.

So, a ridiculous law, but they're not ignorant of it.

 

[JCFantasy23]

We have taken sickening crimes and then have gone too overboard in the opposite direction with them. It's ludicrous stories I've been hearing lately. It's not supposed to be a paranoid witch hunt but that's how people are treating this. He's a minor doing a natural curiosity thing but the way society is overreacting we may as well put him away for life.

 

[Paradoxum]

This is a crazy law. Any politician who doesn't think this should be changed isn't worthy of any respect.

 

[dgiharris]

I hate how we old crusty adults criminalize being a stupid teenager.

Look, we were all stupid when we were teenagers. Teens do NOT deserve to have their lives ruined just because they are stupid, and yes this includes this sexting case. As a nation, I feel as if we have lost our collective minds when it comes to these things.

All that should have happened to these kids was the embarrassment of having to show their parents what they did.

That is it.

Stories like this make me ashamed to be an American. Land of the Free Home of the Brave? Yeah right. Now we are a land of the over-reactionaries and home of the hypocrites...

 

[LittleLambofJesus]

I hate how we old crusty adults criminalize being a stupid teenager.

Look, we were all stupid when we were teenagers. Teens do NOT deserve to have their lives ruined just because they are stupid, and yes this includes this sexting case. As a nation, I feel as if we have lost our collective minds when it comes to these things.

All that should have happened to these kids was the embarrassment of having to show their parents what they did.

That is it.

Stories like this make me ashamed to be an American. Land of the Free Home of the Brave? Yeah right. Now we are a land of the over-reactionaries and home of the hypocrites...

Teens will be teens......
reminds me of this hilarious 1982 classic movie "Porky's", set in the '50s. [only the movie trailer is non-R rated ehehe]

 

[brinny]

Teens will be teens......
reminds me of this hilarious 1982 classic movie "Porky's", set in the '50s. [only the movie trailer is non-R rated ehehe]

LOL! What a mess

 

[keith99]

This is a crazy law. Any politician who doesn't think this should be changed isn't worthy of any respect.

I'm not so sure it is the politicians who are the problem. Well unless you count the local district attorney as a politician. He does not have to prosecute. Police and DAs are supposed to use some judgment. If they don't it is almost impossible to write laws to get the bad people and not get some innocent people in the process.

 

[Paradoxum]

I'm not so sure it is the politicians who are the problem. Well unless you count the local district attorney as a politician. He does not have to prosecute. Police and DAs are supposed to use some judgment. If they don't it is almost impossible to write laws to get the bad people and not get some innocent people in the process.

Well I'd say this is something worth trying to get right on in law, not merely interpretation.

I also don't think it would be too hard to discount self-taken teenage pictures from the law.

 

[keith99]

Well I'd say this is something worth trying to get right on in law, not merely interpretation.

I also don't think it would be too hard to discount self-taken teenage pictures from the law.

If you discount self taken pictures you have discounted the whole area where kids get pressured into taking such pictures. It can be done, but it is not as simple as it seems at first glance.

 

[Paradoxum]

If you discount self taken pictures you have discounted the whole area where kids get pressured into taking such pictures. It can be done, but it is not as simple as it seems at first glance.

It seems stupid and evil to condemn non-adults for being pressured into creating non-consensual pictures.

Would you imprison a person for being raped? It isn't much different... and the condemnation of sexts are similarly as unjust.

Maybe it isn't really simple, but if politicians want a simple job they should resign. Human have gone to the Moon, so anyone who thinks anything is too hard can go to hell.

 

[keith99]

It seems stupid and evil to condemn non-adults for being pressured into creating non-consensual pictures.

Would you imprison a person for being raped? It isn't much different... and the condemnation of sexts are similarly as unjust.

Maybe it isn't really simple, but if politicians want a simple job they should resign. Human have gone to the Moon, so anyone who thinks anything is too hard can go to hell.

My bet is this situation is NOT because of this one law, it is a rogue DA taking another law that allows for trying minors as adults and applying it here. A separate law somewhere in several thousand pages of laws.

 

[heatedmonk]

The law reads that way for a good reason what with the child inappropriate content and revenge postings after couple breakups that go on. Sexting while minors should be illegal.

 

[Ada Lovelace]

It sounds ridiculous, but in most school districts in the states that have these laws, students are informed yearly that such things can land them in a legal quagmire. I would have a difficult time believing any under 18 that attempted to claim ignorance about this law.

So, a ridiculous law, but they're not ignorant of it.

It was engraved upon our minds to never take nude photos of ourselves because of the potential legal, social, and other ramifications, but I think many teens still naively assume that what happens privately or between themselves and their boyfriend / girlfriend will remain so. I do think it's plausible that there are also teens who genuinely are ignorant of the laws.

But this whole thing is just lame beyond repair. I also wish there was more consistency with all laws pertaining to minors because they vary by state.

 

[heatedmonk]

Consider also the implications of such a nude minor couples picture as far as statutory rape charges that could follow. If you're nude together in a picture, sexting to one another, it isn't a stretch .

 

[buzuxi02]

how they find out of nude photos on his phone???? And who called the cops??? If it was because he was showing these photos to his friends without the girls consent- maybe i can see it? Overall best if this situation was handled privately.

 

[Fireinfolding]

how they find out of nude photos on his phone???? And who called the cops??? If it was because he was showing these photos to his friends without the girls consent- maybe i can see it? Overall best if this situation was handled privately.

Finally, someone asking the very question I was trying find answered.

 

[SkyWriting]

http://www.newser.com/story/213136/teen-charged-with-having-naked-photos-of-himself.html

Add charges of bullying himself, just for good measure.

 

[Nithavela]

Just execute him and be done with it.

 

[classicalhero]

The law reads that way for a good reason what with the child inappropriate content and revenge postings after couple breakups that go on. Sexting while minors should be illegal.

Exactly. The potential harm these pictures can have is enormous. These laws have been in place for many years and those who don' understand them really haven't been paying attention. They could be charged with possession of child inappropriate content if they were young enough.