Sexting and Young People

Imagine this: You take a semi-nude photo of yourself with your mobile phone and decide to send it to your boyfriend or girlfriend as a bit of fun or to flirt. Your boyfriend or girlfriend then sends this image on to other friends without your permission to brag about what a 'hot' boyfriend or girlfriend they have. How would this make you feel? Would you be pleased? Feel confident? Wish your friend had not sent the image on? Wish you had not taken the image? Be unhappy that your trust had been breached? Would these feelings change if you split up and the ex-boyfriend or girlfriend distributes the image to friends or your family in an act of revenge? You may feel any of these things and your feelings may change but would you also think that you could be liable for a child pornography offence for even taking the image of yourself? Do you think it is right that you could potentially face conviction for a child pornography offence and be placed on the sex offender register for sexting?

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