Exploring the potential consequences of teen sexting in Texas

Posted By Law Offices of Jeffrey C. Grass || 5-Nov-2014

According to the Texas Attorney General's website, a trend known as sexting, or sending sexual images on cell phones, has grown among teenagers. Furthermore, the Attorney General of Texas' website covered changes in a new teen sexting law and the penalties for violating this law. In Dallas, Texas, and across the nation, technology has changed the nature of sex crimes and it is important for people to understand various laws and the potential consequences that come with being convicted of these sex offenses.

Before the new sexting law was implemented, Texas teenagers convicted of sexting could face felony convictions and be required to join the sex offender registry for the rest of their life after being accused of promoting child pornography. The Texas Attorney General shared some of the reasons why this law was changed along with the new penalties for minors convicted of this crime. For example, sexting between minors became a misdemeanor offense and minors convicted of sexting are no longer required to register as a sex offender.

Minors convicted of sending illicit images of an individual who is 17 or younger would be charged with a class C misdemeanor for their first offense, class B misdemeanor if it happens again and class A misdemeanor for their third offense. The law also requires minors to make a court appearance and participate in an educational program. Parents who are worried about their children sending or receiving sexually explicit material may want to read information published on the Federal Trade Commission's website which provides helpful tips on how to prevent these sex crimes from occurring.