Sexting and the NeoPuritans

Sexting--sending sexually explicit text messages via mobile phone. Sometimes containing naked pictures.

People do this, they talk sex, seduction, and share their randy dreams. Sometimes it's called love talk. When adults do it, it's considered indiscreet. When teens under 18 do it, it's a crime.

Yes, grade school and high school kids sending/receiving naked pictures of themselves/their classmates are being arrested and charged with child pornography--the sexual predator charge. (Two recent examples--the first involves middle school students in Valparaiso, IN and the second features high schoolers in Plainfield, IL.)

What's going on here? Have we lost our minds? Hormonal teens are fascinated with sex, experimenting, eager to experience life (just like they have forever) and suddenly it's criminal.

How can this be? What's criminal about a naked body or body parts? Nothing in my mind. You want to send me a picture of yourself without clothes, go ahead. I'll be glad to take a look and I won't think badly of you. And it won't be pornography. And it's not pornography when a twelve-year-old does it either.

When two high school juniors are in the early (or late) stages of the mating ritual and share nude pictures with each other and text about the magical lure of their bodies, this is not a crime. It is not pornographic, it's normal.

No, you didn't do this when you were a kid. You didn't have the technology. Should kids do this? Not really. It's indiscreet and if the nude photo is shared around the school,it can cause problems.

But is the a criminal matter for the police and the courts?

Hell, no. It's a matter for parents who need to teach their children how to be sexually responsible, discreet and thoughtful. And how can it be a crime for a teenage Lothario to have a picture of his naked 15-year-old girl on his phone when the girl herself took the picture and sent to him? Once again, a naked body is not pornographic nor criminal.

So why are kids being charged? Because there is still a large group of Americans who are puritanical and are very uncomfortable with sex, any aspect of sex. But it's out of fashion to stand up and demand that sex go back to its Victorian underground. No, the NeoPuritans can't do that without looking foolish, even to themselves. So they've latched on to the concept of protecting children from predators and have used to engineer a whole set of new blue laws onto the books in the name of "saving our kids from harm."

But they've gone too far and the results are insane. We have customs inspectors searching for proof of crimes committed in other countries, beyond American jurisdiction. We have criminals who have served their time, held without bail, a clear violation of their rights. We also have teeny-boppers charged as pornographers and principals searching phones like members of the vice squad. What the hell has happened? Can't we just sit down and be reasonable about all this?