A Lawyer, Some Teens and a Fight Over 'Sexting'

Wall Street Journal ^ | 4/21/09 | Dionne Searcey

[steve-b]

The group of anxious parents crowded around District Attorney George Skumanick Jr. as he sat behind a table in a courtroom here and presented them with an ultimatum.

Photos of their semi-nude or scantily clad teenage daughters were stacked before him. Mr. Skumanick said the images had been discovered on cellphones confiscated at the local high school. They could either enlist their kids in an education program or have the teens face felony charges of child pornography. "We could have just arrested them but we didn't," said Mr. Skumanick in an interview....

But some legal experts say that here in Wyoming County, Pa., Mr. Skumanick has expanded the definition of sexting to such an extent he could be setting a dangerous precedent. He has threatened to charge kids who appeared in photos, but who didn't send them, as well as at least one girl who was photographed wearing a bathing suit. One of the accused is 11 years old.

"The whole tawdry episode seems to call for a little parental guidance and a pop-gun approach, not a Howitzer approach with a felony prosecution," said Louis Natali, a law professor at Temple University....

[steve-b]

The sort of gathering that SHOULD be "crowded around District Attorney George Skumanick Jr."

[exist]

Hey remember that time parents used to handle this kind of stuff?

[Raycpa]

Does this guy want to spank these girls?

[Raycpa]

...the 17-year-old worried they could see her photo and recalls she said, “I think the worst punishment is knowing that all you old guys saw me naked. I just think you guys are all just perverts.”

[Gothmog]

I think the guy did the right thing, there are many parents unaware of what kids can do on the internet, or at least unaware how to stop it.

If I had an 11 year-old daughter whose photo in a bathing suit was being distributed around to creeps I’d like a heads up, and that’s what he gave them.

[Concho]

Skumaniac was pissed that he didnt get all the pics to drool over.

[bert]

She was seen and judged inadequate

[6SJ7]

Before showing the photos, Mr. Skumanick explained his offer to the crowd, answering one father's question affirmatively, that -- yes -- a girl in a bathing suit could be subjected to criminal charges because she was posed "provocatively."

Mr. Skumanick would fit right in with the Iranian Mullahs.

[steve-b]

They could either enlist their kids in an education program or have the teens face felony charges of child pornography.

i.e. You can choose between Re-Education and being classified as an Enemy Of The People.

[Snickering Hound]

Last month, the American Civil Liberties Union and a group of parents sued Mr. Skumanick in federal court in Scranton, Pa., alleging he violated the freedom-of-expression rights of three teenage girls. The ACLU also says that Mr. Skumanick is interfering with their parents' rights to raise them as they see fit.

[colorado tanker]

I can't believe this moron prosecutor did something so dumb I now find myself in agreement with the ACLU.

[rwfromkansas]

They actually are on the right position at times....very rarely, but at times they are correct.

[east1234]

A friend of mine recently busted her son (14) doing this, 3 weeks later her sister busted her son (15) with some pics from a girl. It is apparently very common now, why am I not surprised. Kids can text anything they want to, and they want to. Prosecuting this is beyond stupid. The boys I know lost their phones and got restricted for a while, seems appropriate.

[humblegunner]

He has threatened to charge kids who appeared in photos, but who didn't send them, as well as at least one girl who was photographed wearing a bathing suit

My God!

The little harlot was wearing a bathing suit?

Stone her! Burn her!

To the stake with ye, harlot!!!

[colorado tanker]

In the bad old days when I grew up the teacher or cop who found this would call the parent involved and the problem would be taken care of, most definitely.

And stuff like this did go on, in games of "doctor" and spin the bottle. It's just it couldn't be recorded on a cell phone so some power freak prosecutor could get involved.

[Valpal1]

...the 17-year-old worried they could see her photo and recalls she said, “I think the worst punishment is knowing that all you old guys saw me naked. I just think you guys are all just perverts.”

Well honey, eventually your picture will end being distributed to perverts to wank off to, which feeds their appetite for more. Someplace, somewhere a little girl is being exploited and abused to feed that same appetite and you, you stupid 17 year old skank are now a part of that cycle of abuse. Way to go.

[MrB]

Chickie didn’t understand that once the picture was in electronic format, it essentially was on the web for all to see anyway...

[Ole Okie]

In the bad old days when I grew up the teacher or cop who found this would call the parent involved and the problem would be taken care of, most definitely.

Agreed. My parents would have let me know this was not countenanced in a way I wouldn't forget for a while.

Problem is that parents can't discipline their children in this enlightened age.