Legal Question in Criminal Law in Connecticut

In 2010 Connecticut passed a law which dealt with �sexting.� This law protected minors from strict punishments under Connecticut�s child pornography laws. However, if a teenager�s act of sexting does not fit under the specific Connecticut statute, then the teenager can be prosecuted under Connecticut�s pornography laws. Pornography laws makes it a felony to possess or distribute child pornography or to promote a minor to engage in a sexual act. These sexting laws apply to the electronic transmission or possession of child pornography by persons 13 to 15 years old (for transmission) or 13 to 17 years old (for possession). This means that it is a misdemeanor for people between the ages of 13 and 17 to possess a picture of someone between the ages of 13 and 15. It is also a misdemeanor for people between the ages of 13 and 15 to send a picture portrayed child pornography. For example, a 17-year-old commits this crime if he takes a nude photo of his 15-year-old girlfriend on his cell phone. If the girlfriend takes a nude photo of herself with her cell phone and sends it to her boyfriend, she is also committing a crime.

If you have any further questions about criminal law in Connecticut, please contact Joseph C. Maya, Esq. at (203) 221-3100 or e-mail him directly at [email protected].