Is it right to charge this boy with child pornography?

[thir]

This madness has reached the UK. In this article youngsters are warned againts sending sexts to each other,

"In a letter sent to schools in Nottinghamshire, the county's sexual exploitation investigation unit said officers were receiving reports on a daily basis of naked images being sent between teenagers using mobile phones.

In one recent case cited in the letter, a teenage girl who sent a topless picture of herself to her boyfriend was investigated after being deemed to have distributed an indecent image of a child.

The girl's boyfriend, who forwarded the image to friends after they split up, is reported to have received a caution."

I wonder who can keep reporting on what people send to each other privately?

I can see not point in accusing anyone who is taking a picture of themselves! But to send them on without permission is surely asking for more than 'a caution.'

In the letter sent to school officials, Det Insp Martin Hillier warns that court action for such offences may even see a child forced to register as a sex offender.

In my opinion there is a big difference between what you send privately, and what you publish on the net.

To interfere in private communication is to me 'indecent'. To put on the net is careless, but not a crime unless done by others without permission.

http://www.theguardian.com/media/201...?commentpage=2

[js207]

I can see not point in accusing anyone who is taking a picture of themselves! But to send them on without permission is surely asking for more than 'a caution.'
...
To interfere in private communication is to me 'indecent'. To put on the net is careless, but not a crime unless done by others without permission.

Interesting. Legally, no: here at least, the acts of making and distributing the photos is the same crime; had the subject not been underage, there would be no crime involved at all. (It might be deemed a breach of copyright, for which you could theoretically sue, but that's all.)

Perhaps we need a sort of 'Romeo and Juliet' exemption, like some US states have so two 15 year olds having sex isn't a crime even if the 15 year old having sex with a 20 year old would be. In fact, I think we currently have - in the UK - the absurd anomaly where I could have sex with a 17 year old girl quite legally - but you taking a photo of that perfectly legal act would make you a sex offender. I can't imagine politicians putting any effort into any sort of rethink, though: too easy to be attacked for it.