Sunday, March 09, 2008

With Technology, We Get The Good and the Bad

Sadly, this is becoming more and more common.

An Oklahoma teen accused of using his cell phone camera to record a 16-year-old girl performing oral sex on him has been charged with manufacturing child pornography.

Eighteen-year-old Kylem Lamont Carter was also charged with distributing child pornography because he allegedly shared the video with several students.


The interesting situation is how to deal with this when both (assuming there are only 2) participants are under 18. In this case, though, I don't know how the boy could be charged with anything but what he was charged with--it's no different than if he'd set up a video camera, and the girl was a minor.

In California, statutory rape is a misdemeanor if the adult is less than three years older than the minor, and a felony if the adult is 3 or more years older than the minor. Sexual acts are one thing, filming and distributing them are another.

Another interesting situation: how should schools deal with this when students, even when out of school, are sending "suggestive" pictures via phone or computer. Is it a school issue at all? What if a particular student is being harassed, even if out of school, by being sent such pictures? How should the school respond?

As you might surmise, I've heard of this happening.

4 comments:

Ellen K said...

I pretty much figured that sooner or later someone would start using the camera phones to generate pornography. A friend of mine in another district took up a phone from a student due to a no-phones policy. He had an internet site with a nasty film activated that he was watching during class. But here's the kicker, you can go on many kids' websites on MySpace and Facebook and Xanga and find photos, films and entries that would shame the publisher of Penthouse. Heck, notes that I have taken up mentioned things that I didn't even know about until after I got out of college. These kids aren't the innocents they are made out to be and while the boy is guilty of spreading the images, I am tired of these girls playing dumb. Many of them know EXACTLY what they are doing.

Anonymous said...

i agree with ellen

sometimes on myspace and facebook (mainly when the site puts out a notice saying they published new photos, or commented on a photo or something of the sort) i'll see a picture taken during high school of my "fellow classmates" engaging in drinking and sexual activities. AND THEY PUBLISH THEMSELVES DOING IT! but when someone else posts the same pics, they get pissed.......kinda illogical.

i think schools should stay out of students business when they're off campus (such as parties posted online). however, if a student becomes harassed about something on campus, or if the events take place on campus...then the school should intervene and take action trying to regulate. but, if the events occur off campus and no issues arise on campus about the event...then the school should not get involved.

Mr. W said...

These kids aren't the innocents they are made out to be and while the boy is guilty of spreading the images, I am tired of these girls playing dumb. Many of them know EXACTLY what they are doing.

agreed. thanks to the internet, there is no innocence I guess. Nothing shocks these kids anymore. That's the scary part.

Darren said...

Scott, that has consistently been my position.