Teens under the age of 18 in the state of Kentucky who are caught sexting are to face fines and community service under a bill recently unanimously approved by the Senate.

Under current law, teens caught sexting could be charged as felony sex offenders and, if convicted, would have to be registered on the state database.

House Bill 143 will be amended to ensure it applies to a teen that takes a sexually explicit photo of him or herself and distributes it via a cell phone. According to HB 143, a teen charged with sexting would be punished in the juvenile justice system, where a judge could issue a $100 fine for first-time offenders, order community service and work with the child’s parents. Subsequent offenses would be prosecuted under existing laws, which could include felony child pornography laws.

This bill provides for a reasonable way to address the crime without permanently damaging a child’s future. Kentucky joins a number of states that recently amended their laws to accommodate for teen sexting.

Source: Kentucky tries to craft fitting punishment for 'sexting', Politics AP, March 18, 2010

Tags: Kentucky, sexting, legislation