Texas Senate Votes For Teen Sexting Misdemeanor
AUSTIN (AP) - The Texas Senate has voted to allow prosecutors to charge teens 17 or younger with a misdemeanor, not a felony, if they are caught "sexting."
Sexting is when a mobile phone is used, often by teenagers, to send sexually explicit images or messages.
Current law says anyone who transmits an explicit image of a teen can face felony charges of possessing or trafficking child pornography.
Sen. Kirk Watson of Austin says he doesn't want teens to get labeled as sex offenders for the rest of their lives for doing something stupid. Watson's bill creates different levels of misdemeanor charges for sexting.
The bill also has been endorsed by Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott.
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