By Rachel Browne February 6, In January , a year-old girl from Saanich, B. Last year, her lawyer, Christopher Mackie, mounted a constitutional challenge of the conviction.
Youth Justice Court. He also argued the conviction was unfair, since adults could legally forward sextsβphotos or videosβof other adults. A law will give authorities an alternative to laying child porn charges in teen sexting cases. This means, however, that child porn charges will still be applicable to anyone under 18 who sends or receives sexts of another minor, says Eleanor Funk , a Calgary-based criminal defence lawyer.
While statistics on the frequency and scope of sexting among Canadian youth are scant, a MediaSmarts survey on media use by 5, Canadian students across the country from Grades 4 to 11 found that 15 per cent of the Grade 11 students surveyed had sent a sext, and 36 per cent said they had received one. Gen Fareau, from the Ottawa Police Service, who frequently gives presentations at local schools on the dangers of sexting, says many students are shocked when she tells them it can be a crime. The cops will appreciate you making your own mugshot.
This means accepting that sexting is part of teenage life. Dobson-Hughes bristles at the notion that Planned Parenthood is encouraging kids to send these sexy images. Andrea not her real name , an year-old student from Toronto, says this approach could have prevented a horrible sexting experience she had when she was When a popular boy in her class asked her to send him a topless photo of herself, she reluctantly agreed.
I felt like if I asked for help, I would go to jail, that it would turn out so much bigger. Andrea changed schools and the bullying eventually stopped. She formed a group with girls in her new school to raise awareness about slut-shaming and the importance of good education about sex and sexting. We have to establish that there are consequences to exploiting a private photograph that someone sends to you. For Dobson-Hughes, trying to eradicate sexting altogether is futile.
