TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by Senators Jim Beach (D-Camden) and John Girgenti (D-Passaic) that would allow certain juveniles charged with “sexting” to enter into an educational program and avoid criminal prosecution has been signed into law.
“Many young people simply don’t know the dangers associated with ‘sexting’ and may not have been educated about the harm it could cause,” said Beach. “In some instances, it would simply be unfair to slap a criminal charge on their record for something they may not realize was wrong. This program provides critical education to children to inform them of the repercussions of engaging in this activity, including the potential for legal ramifications.”
“Rather than punish those who might be unaware of how dangerous their action is, we need to provide education on this issue. By teaching children the dangers of ‘sexting’ we can help stop the activity from occurring, while at the same time preventing unnecessary punishment,” said Girgenti.
