PENNSYLVANIA OUTLAWS NAKED PICTURES OF MINORS TAKEN BY CAMERA PHONES

Pennsylvania State Police are dealing with a growing problem in today’s society; teens taking pictures of themselves or others involved in sexual acts and transmitting the images to friends via cell phone. The problem has become so extensive that schools have asked for help from the State Police Cyber Crimes Division. Troopers have been dispatched to assist in the finding and destruction of cell phone images at many Pennsylvania school districts, and according to State Trooper Paul Iannace, the problem is draining the division’s already limited resources.

The problem exists not only in Pennsylvania, but nationwide. Last month, a seventeen-year old was arrested in Wisconsin for possession of child pornography, sexual exploitation of a child, and defamation, after he posted nude pictures of his ex-girlfriend onto Myspace from his cell phone. Pennsylvania State Troopers were dispatched to the Parkland School District, near Allentown, Pennsylvania, to remove video and images of two underage girls from nearly forty student-cell phones. In Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, troopers showed no lenience when they arrested a fifteen-year old girl in 2004 for posting nude pictures of herself on the internet.

Child Pornography

Federal Law defines child pornography as “a visual depiction of any kind, including a drawing, cartoon, sculpture, or painting, photograph, film, video, or computer-generated image or picture, whether made or produced by electronic, mechanical, or other means, of sexually explicit conduct, where it a) depicts a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct and is obscene, or b) depicts an image that is, or appears to be, of a minor engaging in graphic bestiality, sadistic or masochistic abuse, or sexual intercourse, including genital-genital, oral-genital, anal-genital, or oral-anal, whether between persons of the same or opposite sex, and such depiction lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.” Possessing, Making, and Distributing child pornography is illegal in all 50 states, including Pennsylvania, and it is an offense which carries serious legal penalties.

If you have been arrested and charged with owning, making, or distributing child pornography, a Pennsylvania Criminal Defense Attorney can help. There are defenses which are available to you, so do not hesitate to contact a Pennsylvania Criminal defense Attorney immediately.