Ohio ACLU writes to local lawmakers and prosecutors about sexting

This local piecereports on an interesting sexting developing in Ohio: "The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio sent letters to all county prosecutors and members of the Ohio General Assembly today, calling on them to respect sex offender laws and the role of law and not impose heavy-handed charges on 'sexting' teens."  Here is more from this ACLU press release:

ACLU of Ohio Legal Director Jeffrey Gamso said, “Child pornography laws were created to protect child victims from adults who prey on them. In sexting cases, the victim is often also the perpetrator who originally distributed the photo. Local officials are twisting the law to prosecute those they were meant to protect. ”

“A conviction for sexting can do far more than teach a lesson — it can ruin a life. Teens found to have committed a felony or labeled a sex offender could be barred from certain jobs and educational programs, required to register for years with local law enforcement and have restrictions on where they may live. While teens should be educated on the consequences of distributing nude photos, imposing these harsh punishments will only further harm young lives.” added Gamso.

This page at the ACLU of Ohio website also provides links to the letter to County Prosecutors and to the letter to members of the Ohio General Assembly.

Some recent related posts:

• The many fascinating legal and social issues swirling around "sexting"
• Notable stories of sex and death from the local papers
• Federal district judge enjoins controversial state sexting prosecution