May 18, 2009
Judge Tom
1

One-year probation for 15-year-old sexter

A Nebraska high school freshman texted a nude picture of himself to a 13-year-old girl. The girl’s mother found the photo and notified the police.

The boy was charged in juvenile court with distributing obscene material. He admitted sending the text and in May, 2009 was sentenced to 12-months probation.  Additional terms included 20 community service hours, counseling and a curfew, no contact with the victim and no cell phone use while on probation.

Photo by FacemePLS (Flickr)

Do you think this is going too far?  Assuming this boy had no previous record, is probation for a year harsh?  What would you have done if you were the judge?

Note:  Keep in mind that what you read on the Internet or in the newspaper may not be the complete story.  Judges oftentimes have more information about the case than what’s reported in the news.

Find out more about the possible consequences for sexting.

Judge Tom

The Author Judge Tom

Judge Tom is the founder and moderator of AsktheJudge.info. He is a retired juvenile judge and spent 23 years on the bench. He has written several books for lawyers and judges as well as teens and parents including 'Teen Cyberbullying Investigated' (Free Spirit Publishing) and 'Every Vote Matters: the Power of Your Voice, from Student Elections to the Supreme Court' (Free Spirit Publishing). In 2020, the American Bar Association published "Cyberbullying Law," the nation's first case-law book written for lawyers, judges and law students. When he's not answering teens' questions, Judge Tom volunteers with the American Red Cross and can be found hiking, traveling and reading.

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1 Comment

  • julie
    May 28, 2009 6:19 pm count( 0 )

    judge tom-the group is wondering if the boy and girl were dating, and if she requested the picture-if this infomation is known…thx

    Judge Tom’s Response:
    The reports about this case did not say whether they were dating or not, or if she asked for the picture. Under the law, it probably wouldn’t have made a difference because of their ages.