Teens who text each other explicit images could be subject to 15 years in federal prison under a new bill that just passed the House of Representatives. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), ranking member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, has called the measure “deadly and counterproductive.” Full Article
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Psychopaths? Idiots? Who are we voting into public office? This is an OUTRAGE and a disgrace to all United States Citizens and what this country stands for. This is no longer the America that once was, that is for damn sure.
(At the time of this comment, the link to the article isn’t working). Based on the headline and the first few sentences, I have to say that this country is simply devolving into a pure police state. This is complete lunacy!!!
“That means if a teenager attempts to obtain a photo of sexually explicit conduct by requesting it from his teenage girlfriend, the judge must sentence that teenager to prison for at least 15 years for making such an attempt. If a teenager goads a friend to ask a teenager to take a sexually explicit image of herself, just by asking, he could be guilty of conspiracy or attempt, and the judge must sentence that teenager to at least 15 years in prison.”
If the gender is replaced in this paragraph, as in, “..requesting it from her teenage boyfriend”, does she go to jail?
Thank god the democrats are at least open about disagreement with this nonsense though.
Another expansion of the Legislature taking over the role of the Judiciary.
Mandatory Minimums, as well as the entire Sex Offender Registry are diminishing the role of judges and limiting us to just two branches of government. It wouldn’t take much more effort for legislature to minimize the role of President, and have no Judicial branch left to stop them.
If someone doesn’t get a successful challenge of separation of powers to SCOTUS soon (that covers all above issues), it will be too late.
This is just pure evil. KIDS HAVE NO IDEA THESE THINGS ARE LAWS! Hell, I’d be willing to bet it comes as huge news to nearly all the parents.
Maybe it will take this huge overreach to finally topple this entire house of cards.
The guy is quoting scripture. And we thought the only religious fanaticism was in the Middle East. I’m sure he’ll be caught with child porn eventually. When will they get, that this, is this generations version of playing doctor.
So, I have a 15 year old son. Let’s just say he has a girlfriend. Now let’s get his girlfriend a new bathing suit. She sends him a picture of her in the bathing suit, but she is doing a Marilyn Monroe pose. Seeing as bathing suits are like underwear, can my son do time for an innocent picture? Remember, laws are based on interpretation. Slippery slope turned into a slipnslide.
“Supporters of the legislation said there’s no reason to think that federal prosecutors will use the bill against teen sexters, since they have not done so in the past.”
Yeah, I want to hang my hat on this notion. Riiight. “Trust us, it won’t ever happen that way.” Good thing there aren’t any jackbooted thugs in DoJ (*cough* Sessions *cough*).
Hopefully the Senate will stop this nonsense. That’s the only hope, as you know WH will sign it.
Did any of you happen to read the story linked at the bottom of this one? (http://reason.com/blog/2016/10/04/prosecutor-wants-to-charge-14-year-old-g)
Good thing she did this last year, or she could be the first 15-year minimum test case.
Go back to 2015, and you can find an even more ridiculous case. (http://www.essence.com/2015/09/22/huh-north-carolina-teen-couple-faces-felony-charges-sexting-photos-themselves) The charges were (wisely) dropped, but NC was going to try a boy and a girl as adults for sexting pictures of minors. The minors were themselves! So they were both adults and minors at the same time!?!?? That makes perfect sense. Nope, nobody will use this Federal legislation willy-nilly if/when it becomes law.
The laws have gotten so so far out of hand, and the judiciary is so slow and behind the curve on dealing with them. It’s only getting worse, and legislators (including Congress) know that it’s too expensive for most to fight the case, even if in the right.
–AJ
My sense of the absurd finds this to be hilarious! I really, really, REALLY can’t wait to see the sh#t hit the fan when little Bobby and little Becky, son and daughter of their moron constituents, end up facing 15 years in federal prison for sexting!
Then what??
Still, it’s okay for Dennis Hastert to go free, right?
Absolutely umbelievable!
Well lets hope that this horrible bill passes the Senate and becomes law. And let’s hope that thousands of teenagers are sent to federal prison for 15 years. What a f__king waste of my tax dollars, and more importantly, the lives of teenagers. The only way to get changes to stupid sex offender laws is to get thousands of angry parents involved or for sons/daughters of legislators to get caught up in the system. Is the private prison system behind these mandatory minimum sentencing pushes, whether it be drug or sex offenses? Hell is too good for these greedy XXXs.
Actually, the first time one of the Congressional or Senatorial people as a parent have to deal with this because their child is caught up will really be the time the poo hits the fan. Just like when their child has a drug offense make the news, this will, too, make the news. Then what will happen? The elected official will need to stand by the law, not their child, so they can show they are not above the law.
So heres a scenario: LE find pictures on a 15-year old’s cell phone and then, using a very broad warrant, they search ALL the cell phones of ALL the students in that school or even in that District by claiming they found a child porn ring and by using a very broad search warrant. (See the link below.) http://bigthink.com/natalie-shoemaker/edward-snowden-believes-we-have-returned-to-the-1760s-under-the-amended-rule-41
All great points with only the thought that there is no way anyone in power would ever have their kids prosecuted. They are too well connected. A backdoor deal would be reached, money change hands and our assumed martyr set free. I have zero faith in this idea.
For years I was a conservative. I have no faith in our system. We have been sold a bill of goods. Our country has been taken from us. Only a revolution can return us to our constitutional roots. I doubt that will ever happen so its just a matter of time before Nazi Germany will begin to look good to us by comparison.
I love my country. Fought for it. Served my community. I no longer recognize my goverment as an entity that serves its citizens. I am completely disillusioned.
lawmakers no longer have anything to do except to find ways to harass US citizens and to figure out ways to squeeze every penny they can from each and every one of us. That’s now their jobs..
Countless LIVES are going to be lost over this, teens taking their own and others years or days later after being registered for Sexting, give up…and may no longer be a productive citizen(person) in Society.
Not well thought, Thanks be to Sheila for speaking up and wish she had been heard before the vote.
Deadly and counterproductive is just the start. Sad our Fed Gov. is out of touch of reality and social media.
It’s sends WORSE than a Message.
The Federal Pen need younger and more workers for their “Prison Blues” jeans business.