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Pennsylvania District
Attorneys Association |
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January 21, 2010 |
Contact:
Michael Piecuch Executive
Director 717-238-5416 |
Pennsylvania
District Attorneys
Applaud
New Proposal to Change “Sexting” Laws
Harrisburg,
PA – The Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association today applauded a new “sexting”
bill introduced in the state House of Representatives saying the measure makes
the right changes to Pennsylvania law regarding the sending of sexually
explicit images by minors to minors.
With
sexting incidents on the rise, district attorneys throughout Pennsylvania have
advocated making appropriate changes to the state’s sexting laws while
simultaneously conducting local outreach programs to help educate young people,
parents and communities regarding the social dangers and legal consequences of
sexting.
“When
it comes to sexting, the right legislative changes will ensure that the law catches
up with technology and hands down appropriate legal consequences,” said
Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association President and Dauphin County
District Attorney Edward M. Marsico, Jr.
“The Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association applauds Rep. Seth
Grove for introducing this legislation and looks forward to working with
legislative leaders, victim advocates and others to ensure that the end result
is a law that is clear and applied in a consistent manner.”
House
Bill 2189, introduced by York County state Representative Seth Grove (R-Dover),
would make the charge for a minor transmitting or distributing a sexting image
to another minor considered a misdemeanor of the second degree. Current law
makes sexting a felony offense, even for minors. A sexting conviction could result in a
permanent record and registration as a sex offender for a period of 10 years or
more.
“It
takes seconds to decide to take a photo, take it and send a sexual image over a
cell phone, but it could take a lifetime to erase the impact of that image,”
said Marsico. “As people, we understand
that there are long-lasting social consequences to sexting that argue against teens
doing it in the first place. As
prosecutors, we’d rather not see the legal consequences for minors last so
long.”
To
help educate young people, parents and communities about the social dangers and
legal consequences of sexting, PDAA has developed the public outreach program, “Let’s Talk About Sexting”. The program is available to schools and
communities through their local district attorney’s office or by contacting PDAA at www.pdaa.org or
(717) 238-5416.
“Prosecutors
would much rather stop sexting before it reaches the district attorney’s
office,” Marsico said. “The Let’s Talk About Sexting presentation
focuses on the many social consequences, in addition to the legal ones, that
young people need to consider before they click a picture and hit send.”
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