What Is Sexting?

 Posted on March 14, 2018 in Sex Crimes

In today’s society, the media tends to glamorize crimes and sexual activity. What the media fails to consider when addressing these issues is that, in reality, there are many legal ramifications to these types of activities. One common issue that has been addressed is the act of sexting, a sex crime that could lead to serious legal consequences, including your future employment opportunities, time in jail, and the potential of having to register as a sex offender.

Definition and Statistics of Sexting

Sexting is defined as the method of sending nude or half-nude photos by cell phone or other electronic devices. In other words, sexting is considered to be a sexual text message. The act of sexting is very common among teenagers, who are driven by hormones and curious about sexual activity. Even though as many as one out of five teenagers have been involved in some form of sexting, many teenagers involved do not know that sexting is a crime.

Over two-thirds of sexting activity involves images meant for a significant other. However, as many as 25 percent of teenage girls and 33 percent of teenage boys admit that they had some forms of sext messages meant for other teenagers.

Consequences of Sexting

If a nude or half-nude photo was taken with no knowledge, forwarded without authorization, or used to harass, there may be emotional distress for those involved in the sexting activity. Not only can sexting cause emotional issues for those involved, but legal issues may arise as well.

If the teenager involved in the sexting activity is under the age of 18 years old, whether initiating the sext or receiving the message, then he or she may be faced with as severe as a Class X felony, and may also have to pay a fine between $1,000 to $100,000 and imprisonment of between four and fifteen years, depending on the nature of the crime.

In the state of Illinois, the individual must register as a sex offender, as he or she has committed the act of child pornography. If the individual does not comply with reporting, then he or she may be faced with a felony.

Call a Cook County Sex Crime Defense Attorney

Sexting is a serious criminal offense that may come with unwanted consequences. If you have been charged with a sex crime, you need effective legal representation. At the Law Offices of Hal M. Garfinkel LLC, Chicago Criminal Defense Attorney, we will go above and beyond to protect your rights. To schedule a free initial consultation with our Chicago sex crime defense lawyers, please call 312-629-0669 today.

Sources:

https://www.isba.org/ibj/2010/04/sextingitsnojokeitsacrime

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/documents/072000050K11-20.1.htm