A Louisiana state Senate committee recently advanced legislation (HB 1357) that would make sexting a crime punishable by at least 10 days in jail.

According to the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Damon Baldone, sexting “qualifies as child pornography” and the bill would give “judges the authority to charge youths with a lesser crime of sexting.” The law would only apply to minors, who would face a minimum $100 fine and up to 30 days in jail for possessing or transmitting “an indecent visual depiction.”

Other Louisiana senators have different views on sexting. Sen. Conrad Appel feels it would be wrong to criminalize a” crime of immaturity, silly youth”, and that “government should not insert itself between a family and a school by passing laws against sexting and cyberbullying,” He is planning to introduce an amendment on the Senate floor that stipulates “family, then the school and then government.”

Sen. A.G. Crowe, R-Slidell plans to propose an amendment that will make a distinction for the age of the offender.

The committee agreed to amend the bill to more clearly make the jail sentence optional. The bill now moves on to the full Senate.

For more information about 2010 legislation related to sexting, see the list compiled by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) that shows which states have introduced or are considering bills or resolutions aimed at sexting.

Source: Sexting Legislation Update, What in the World is going on in Cyberbullying?, June 11, 2010

Tags: Louisiana, legislation, sexting