TEENS: BEFORE YOU SEND IT, KNOW THE LAW
The attached law applies to anyone under 17 years old, and one part of it often surprises many of this generation: If you are under 17, knowingly taking an indecent photo or video of your OWN body and sending it to someone is a crime. It does not matter whether the picture is of you, that you took it yourself, or that you chose who to send it to.
The law also addresses knowingly possessing or sending/sharing an indecent image that was sent by another person under 17, which means you receiving an image of another indecent teen and you kept it, sent it, or shared it.
And today, there is another serious concern: AI-generated images. Using any form of AI or device/software/app to create an indecent image or video that depicts another person, making an image appear that another person is nude or engaged in sexual conduct, and/or possessing, selling, or sharing that material with the intent to bully, coerce, harass, or intimidate that person is ALSO A CRIME, and you better believe we will charge you with it.
For a first offense, penalties can include up to six months in jail and/or a fine of up to $500, with greater penalties possible for subsequent offenses as provided by law.
Please understand: Once an image is taken, you lose control of where it goes. It can be saved, screenshot, forwarded, altered, posted, or used against you. Deleting it from your phone does not mean every copy is gone. Merely taking an indecent photo of your body with your phone is still backed up and saved on a server, somewhere that you have absolutely no control over. Therefore, you are rolling the dice with your reputation just by simply taking the photo, even if you don't send it to anyone.
Parents, guardians, and educators—please keep having these conversations. And teens, if someone is pressuring you to send an image, threatening you with one, sharing something without your permission, or using AI to create something involving you, tell a trusted
