Sexting 'Craze' May Really Be Skewed Polling

(NEWSER) - The recent—or recently discovered—“sexting” epidemic has produced a reasoned response from educators, and a wild overreaction from police,” Dahlia Lithwick writes on Slate. “Schools are enacting what amounts to a don't-ask-don't-tell policy” on teenagers sending out naked pictures of themselves, and others, she writes. But cops are hauling in high-schoolers on child pornography charges. “Cyber-humiliation shouldn't be grounds for a very real and possibly lifelong criminal record.” More»

He passes out pix for $5 to pals

(NEWSER) - A Massachusetts middle school is caught in a sexting scandal after an 8th-grade boy allegedly sold naked pictures of his girlfriend to fellow students for $5 a pop. Since the girl is only in 8th grade, the photo she sexted of herself and her beau's financial transactions may violate child pornography laws , police say. The school released a statement pointing out the incident took place off school grounds. That did little to ease parents' minds. "It's horrifying, it's absolutely horrifying," a mom tells ABC News . More»

Stalkers, potential employers may have access to photos years later

(NEWSER) - The critical problem with sexting is that salacious snaps teens send of themselves from their cell phones can exist forever in cyberspace. That's the message Australian authorities are stressing in a new educational anti-sexting campaign. Nude pictures sent in fun could end up being posted on the Internet by sexual predators years later or could scuttle job prospects if spotted online by potential employers, reports Reuters. More»

Health professionals text teens answers to anonymous sex questions

(NEWSER) - Teenagers no longer need to reveal their angst over pregnancy or noisy sex in crowded classrooms, the New York Times reports. Public health officials, fretting over the state of sex ed in US schools, are now answering questions via text message. Some use multiple choice menus and automated responses, but one North Carolina program lets kids text in anonymously and receive personalized, non-judgmental answers within 24 hours. More»

Team with ACLU, sue DA over teens' felony child-porn cases

(NEWSER) - A Pennsylvania district attorney is trying to snuff out “sexting” by threatening felony child-pornography charges for teens who have taken, appeared in, or sent naughty pictures, the Wall Street Journal reports. But while many capitulated, the parents of three others have teamed with the ACLU to sue George Skumanick instead, saying he’s violated freedom-of-expression laws. More»