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Bill backed by 11 sponsors would crack down on 'sexting' by minors
CHARLESTON, Feb 10, 2012 (The Register-Herald - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --
Texting is one area of major concern for West Virginia legislators.
Now comes another one in the burgeoning cyber world that is gaining its share of attention: sexting.
Put simply, it means using a wireless device to send sexually oriented messages or images, and some lawmakers are resolved to crack down on the practice that seems to be growing among minors.
"It's a combination of things, of implied and actual transmission of any kind of sexually oriented material that could or could not be lewd and lascivious," explained Delegate Clif Moore, D-McDowell, one of the 11 sponsors of HB4483, offered Friday.
Another quick definition by Moore: "It arouses the prurient interest of others."
Rather than impose penalties on under-age violators, the bill calls on the attorney general, working in tandem with the Supreme Court, to forge an educational program for minors swept up in the practice.
Once the program has been developed, it would be administered at the county level by prosecuting attorneys.
No minor could be hauled into court if he or she completes the program.
Among provisions of the program are the non-legal consequences of sharing suggestive or explicit materials affecting relationships, loss of educational and job opportunities, and being barred from school programs.
Moore sees another dire result of such texting -- bullying classmates.
"Look at all the social media platforms," Moore said.
"They're growing. New ones are emerging. So, it's absolutely, totally, a popular thing to do. I don't know how popular sexting is, but I think in the state of West Virginia it is a growing problem. And it's another way you can bully people, too. It's a form of harassment."
Once something is sent, Moore explained, true or not, the message could have the effect of soiling another's reputation.
"I just think we need to do whatever we can do legislatively to try to curb that and to bring some degree of order," he said.
Yet another grim aspect of this practice is that someone could text, blog, tweet or whatever, Moore said, and use another's name on the message.
"They could sign my name to it and people will think I did it and I had no clue as to what's going on," he said.
"Those things are dangerous. They can get out of hand. We need to bring some degree of normalcy."
Moore is decidedly a product of the old school. He finds the proliferation of technological toys and gadgets disturbing, and not just from the angle of sending risque messages.
"I might be an old fuddy-duddy, but I don't text, I don't blog, I don't do all those social media platform things," he said.
"But it's a very common practice. I'm an old guy. I like face-to-face contact. I like to shake hands. I like to hug people. I'm not a big fan of social network stuff."
His only venture into cyber world is a Tracfone, which he has used eight years now.
"Can you imagine how much time if you did all these things you would actually spend on an electronic device?" Moore asked.
"You could spend a whole day doing nothing but texting, tweeting, blogging, e-mailing. It's just endless."
Moore finds it annoying to go into a restaurant and see families, or couples, staring downward at various devices.
"They're not even talking to each other," the delegate said.
"Not even eating. It's just disheartening to me. I told my kids that their kids are going to be born with some kind of hand deformity because things evolve over time. It's crazy."
-- E-mail: mannix@register-herald.com
___ (c)2012 The Register-Herald (Beckley, W.Va.) Visit The Register-Herald
(Beckley, W.Va.) at www.register-herald.com Distributed by MCT Information
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