A new bill has passed the Texas Senate by a hefty 29-1 margin that would reduce the classification of a “sexting” offense from a felony to a Class C Misdemeanor. This reduction would only apply to first-time offenders who are younger than age 18.
The bill further gives a judge the discretion to order both the minor and the minor’s parents to participate in a sexting education course. The Texas School Safety Center will be responsible for creating the curriculum for the course. Parents, in case you didn’t have enough good reasons to monitor your teens’ texting habits, now you have one more. Both you and your teen can get detention, so to speak.
While neither the teens nor parents in questions may be happy about being fined and forced to take the class, the punishments under existing laws are much harsher. In fact as the law stands now, any person who sends a sexually explicit image of a minor can be charged with felony trafficking in child pornography. That would look a bit worse on someone’s permanent record.
If you or your children are having problems with the law, The Wright Firm’s criminal defense attorneys are here to help! Give us a call at (972) 353-4600 or check us out on the web at www.thewrightlawyers.com!
Original Dallas Morning News article can be found here: http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/04/senate-approves-measures-to-al.html
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