The news
It seems one 18 year old Phillip Alpert was convicted of sending a naked photo of his 16-year-old girlfriend, a photo she had taken and sent him, to dozens of her friends and family after an argument. Mr Alpert was charged with child phonograph and pleaded no contest and is now on the Florida's sex offender registry. Mr Alpert expresses some disbelief noting that he is now on a list with child molesters and rapist. His attorney, Larry Walters, commented "Sexting is treated as child pornography in almost every state and it catches teens completely offguard because this is a fairly natural and normal thing for them to do. It is surprising to us as parents, but for teens it's part of their culture."
Common sense
The girlfriend was 16 years old. That is she was a minor, a child, not an adult. Mr Alpert was 18, that is an adult. Despite Mr Alpert's immaturity in sending his girlfriend's nude photo he is, in fact, an adult and is, in fact, ghilty of child ponography. Immaturity is not a defense under these circumstances.
Even more disturbing is attorney Larry Walters who regards sending a nude photo of a 16 year old girl as a "fairly natural and mormal thing" and "part of their (youth) culture." Now, I don't know Mr Walters but I'm inclined to reasonably believe that he is rather older than 18. That is, he is clearly an adult arguing that the behavior is acceptable and excuseable. Given that kind of adult example is there any wonder that young people act as they do?
Common sense suggest that there is more than simple child penography. It is adults that should be responsible for setting the standard rather than excusing the behavior. It is adults that should provide the ethical framework and guidence that teaches 16 year olds that is is not OK to send their boyfriend a nude photo. It is adults that should teach an 18 year old that it is not OK to get angry and send a nude photo of their 16 year old girlfriend to others.
