Sexting Is A Crime - Teens Need To Know

Miami-Dade County schools plan to have an anti-sexting initiative for 3rd through 12th graders by August 24th, when Miami-Dade students will be back in class. The new approach will work with state and local government and law enforcement and include training for parents and school staff members.

Palm Beach County Assistant State Attorney Daliah Weiss speaks to middle school students to let them know its a crime.

Sexting is when someone sends sexually explicit images of themselves or others via cell phone or computer. Under Florida law, each image is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison, when the image is of a minor. The charge is considered posession of sexual performance by a child and is intended to cath pedophiles and sexual predators. However, teens who are sexting can be caught and face harsh consequences. The sender and the receiver are just as punishable by the law.

Though Broward and Palm Beach counties have both investigaged sexting cases by teens, no charges have been filed. Miami-Dade has not had any cases reported at this time.

The most notible Florida case of sexting was in Orlando when an 18 year old boy emailed nude photos of his 16 year old ex girlfriend in a revenge seeking move. The 18 year old was charged with sending child pornography and is now listed on the state sex-offender registry.

Vermont and Utah have both amended their laws to charge sexting by minors as a misdemeanor instead of a felony and many other states are considering following suit. State Sen. Dave Aronberg, D- Greenacres, wants Florida to change their laws as well.

"I hear stories like this all the time, about naked pictures being sent over cell phones," Aronberg said. "To those of us who grew up without cell phones, it's shocking. But the law should not treat it the same way we treat Internet predators if this is between two kids acting stupidly."