As of July 1, 2022, 23 states in the U.S. do not have laws specific to teen sexting. Our research shows that approximately 14% of middle and high school students have sent explicit images to others, while about 23% have received similar images from others. Likewise, a 2022 meta-analysis of 28 studies published between 2016…
Please click on any state to learn exactly what their sexting laws cover. (Updated July, 2022) State SextingLaw Includes“Sexting” Addressesminorssending Addressesminorsreceiving Penalty:Diversion Penalty:Informal Penalty:Misdem Penalty:Felony RevengePornLaw Alabama NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO YES Alaska NO NO NO NO NO NO YES NO YES Arizona YES NO YES YES NO NO YES NO…
There is no sexting law in Idaho as of July 2022. House Bill 625 (proposed in 2022) is a proposed revenge porn law that appears to only apply to adults: HOUSE BILL NO. 625 BY JUDICIARY, RULES AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE AN ACT1 RELATING TO DISTRIBUTION OF UNSOLICITED SEXUAL MATERIAL; AMENDING CHAPTER 41, TITLE 18, IDAHO…
(705 ILCS 405/3-40) Sec. 3-40. Minors involved in electronic dissemination of indecent visual depictions in need of supervision. (a) For the purposes of this Section: “Computer” has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 17-0.5 of the Criminal Code of 2012. “Electronic communication device” means an electronic device, including but not limited to a wireless…
Section 35-45-4-6 – Indecent display by a youth (a) This section applies only to a person to whom all of the following apply: (1) The person is less than eighteen (18) years of age. (2) The person is not more than four (4) years older than the individual who is depicted in the image or…
There is no sexting law in Iowa as of July 2022. However, the below laws may be indirectly or directly implicated. Obscenity: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/ico/chapter/728.pdf 708.7 Harassment. (revenge porn addition in paragraph 5) (5) Disseminates, publishes, distributes, posts, or causes to be disseminated, published, distributed, or posted a photograph or film showing another person in a state…
Effective July 1, 2016 in Kansas: 21-5610. Unlawful possession of a visual depiction of a child. (a) Unlawful possession of a visual depiction of a child is knowingly possessing a visual depiction of a child 12 years of age or older but less than 16 years of age in a state of nudity, if committed by…
There is no sexting law in Kentucky as of July 2022. However, the law below may be indirectly or directly implicated. Revenge Porn Law: 531.120 Distribution of sexually explicit images without consent.(1) A person is guilty of distribution of sexually explicit images without consent when:(a) He or she intentionally distributes to any third party private…
For a first offense of possessing or transmitting indecent visual depictions of a minor, the offender will receive a minimum fine of $100 to a maximum of $250, incarcerated for up to ten days, or both. An exception to this provision is if they offender is placed on probation and performs two eight-hour days of…
There is no sexting law in Maryland as of July 2022. However, the law below may be indirectly or directly implicated. Proposed law (2021): HOUSE BILL 180 (https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2021RS/bills/hb/hb0180T.pdf) Juveniles – Sexting FOR the purpose of establishing a certain mitigating factor in a certain juvenile court proceeding against a child for a certain violation; requiring and…
No sexting law in Massachusetts as of July 2022. Proposed sexting law in Massachusetts: Bill H.4498 (proposed May, 2022): An Act relative to transmitting indecent visual depictions by teens and the unlaw [sic] distribution of explicit images. https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/H4498 House docket 1517, H.1550 (filed January 2019): https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/H1550.Html H.4370, https://www.masslive.com/news/2019/02/gov-charlie-baker-refiles-bill-to-address-sexting-and-revenge-porn.html Any person who is less than eighteen…
There is no sexting law in Michigan as of July 2022. However, the law below may be indirectly or directly implicated. Revenge Porn Law: http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2015-2016/billenrolled/Senate/pdf/2015-SNB-0508.pdf
There is no sexting law in Minnesota as of July 2022. However, the laws below may be indirectly or directly implicated. Revenge Porn Law: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=SF2713&version=2&session=ls89&session_year=2016&session_number=0 609.352 SOLICITATION OF CHILDREN TO ENGAGE IN SEXUAL CONDUCT; COMMUNICATION OF SEXUALLY EXPLICIT MATERIALS TO CHILDREN. Subdivision 1.Definitions. As used in this section: (a) “child” means a person 15 years…
There is no specific sexting law in Mississippi as of July, 2022. Revenge porn law (Senate Bill 2121, July 1, 2021): AN ACT TO CRIMINALIZE THE DISCLOSURE WITHOUT CONSENT OF INTIMATE VISUAL MATERIAL; TO DEFINE TERMS; TO PROVIDE PENALTIES FOR THE CRIME; TO ENUMERATE CERTAIN DEFENSES; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. BE IT ENACTED BY THE…
There is no specific sexting law in Missouri as of July, 2022. Revenge porn law (2018) Nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images (https://house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills181/hlrbillspdf/5278S.03F.pdf) 2. A person commits the offense of nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images if he or she: (1) Intentionally disseminates with the intent to harass, threaten, or coerce an image of another…
There is no sexting specific law in Montana as of July, 2022. Revenge porn law: (2019) HB 192, update Privacy in Communications law: https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2019/billhtml/HB0192.htm Section 1. Section 45-8-213, MCA, is amended to read: “45-8-213. Privacy in communications. (1) Except as provided in 69-6-104, a person commits the offense of violating privacy in communications if the…
28-813.01. Sexually explicit conduct; visual depiction; unlawful; penalty; affirmative defense; forfeiture of property. (1) It shall be unlawful for a person nineteen years of age or older to knowingly possess any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct which has a child as one of its participants or portrayed observers. Violation of this subsection is a…
In Nevada, minors who send sexually explicit images of themselves to others are considered a child in need of supervision for the first violation. For further violations, they can be subject to the same penalties if they had been an adult committing a misdemeanor. They are not considered sex offenders and are not subject to…
There is no sexting law in New Hampshire as of July, 2022. However, the law below may be indirectly or directly implicated. Revenge Porn Law: 644:9-a. Nonconsensual Dissemination of Private Sexual Images I. In this section: (a) “Disseminate” means to import, publish, produce, print, manufacture, distribute, sell, lease, exhibit, or display. (b) “Image” means a…
In New Jersey, every sexting complaint is reviewed for recommendations to be dismissed, diverted, or referred for court action based on several criteria. If they are diverted, they will participate in a remedial education or counseling program paid for by the juvenile’s parent or guardian. This program is designed to educate the teen on the…
HB 65, signed into law February 25, 2016: The provisions of Subsection A of this section shall not apply to a depiction possessed by a child under the age of eighteen in which the depicted child is between the ages of fourteen and eighteen and the depicted child knowingly and voluntarily consented to the possession,…
In New York, the two persons involved in sending and receiving the message must both be under twenty and must be within five years of age from each other. They will have to participate in an education reform program that involves a maximum of eight hours of instruction that provides information regarding the legal consequences…
There is no sexting law in North Carolina as of July, 2022. However, the law below may be indirectly or directly implicated. Revenge Porn Law: http://www.ncleg.net/Sessions/2015/Bills/House/PDF/H792v6.pdf
It is a misdemeanor to create or possess a sexually expressive image without written consent of the individual. It is a misdemeanor to send sexually expressive images with the intent to harm the individual in the image who has a reasonable expectation of privacy; or after being told by the individual, parent or guardian does…