The actual act of "sexting" (or sending x-rated photos through instant messaging apps like Whatsapp or SnapChat) isn't illegal but it can become illegal depending on the age of the person in the photo.
What is quite concerning is that sexting has become popular among young teens as technology has developed.
There are a bunch of different reasons why sexting has taken off in popularity.
But what these teenagers don't realize is that they could end up doing long stretches in jail for sexting just once!
A lot of teenagers don't realize that what they are doing is actually illegal, because effectively - what they are sharing are naked images of minors: One of the most serious crimes you can possibly commit!
Here are some stories from ABCnews about students who found themselves on the wrong side of the law because of sexting:
- This year in Wisconsin, a 17-year-old was charged with possessing child pornography after he posted naked pictures of his 16-year-old ex-girlfriend online.
- In Alabama, authorities arrested four middle-school students for exchanging nude photos of themselves. In Rochester, N.Y., a 16-year-old boy is now facing up to seven years in prison for forwarding a nude photo of a 15-year-old girlfriend to his friends.
