From Wired: Judge Temporarily Bars Prosecutor from Charging Teens for Child Porn Pics.
A federal judge in Pennsylvania has granted a temporary restraining order to prevent a district attorney from charging three teenage girls with the production of child pornography for allowing someone to take photos of them in states of undress.
In his ruling (.pdf) the judge seemed to agree with the plaintiffs that the images in question do not qualify as child pornography. (…read more, blog.wired.com)
Actually, I think the prosecutor is abusing his power in a manner that differs from a blackmailer only in that he is not asking for money.
As for his supporters, the best argument is actually Biblical. Jesus supported a woman taken in adultery; how can they invoke him to prosecute in sexting cases?
The reference to the Taliban by twizted is apt. The Muslim argument for the burqa is preventing temptation from turning men into predators.
Hooray! They may be guilty of doing stupid teen stuff, but who hasn’t? Charging them as child pornographers is like attacking a mosquito with an AK47. Of course, the Talibangelists (thanks, Dan Savage!) will scream about this. My answer to them: Have you just tried talking to your kids about this? And by talking, I don’t mean yelling bible verses.