Ruining Kids To Save Them, Ct'd…

My crime column this week looked at the monumentally stupid trend of prosecuting minors who send one another nude photos with child pornography.

Right on cue, Porter County, Indiana, County Prosecutor Brian Gensel has charged a girl, 12, and boy, 13, with child exploitation and possession of felony child pornography for sending one another nude photos via cell phone.

This quote from a child psychiatrist is telling:

"On one level (sending nude pictures) is safer than physical intimacy … but on another level it is taking a risk and being taken advantage of that has a level of shame that is striking," Kraus said.

There's definitely some exploitation of and taking advantage of children going on, here. But it isn't being done by the kids.