Legal Question in Criminal Law in Missouri

I was on the criagslist personals page for casual encounters page and I came across a post of a 21 years women who was looking for fun and to send pictures of private parts and she left her number. I texted her saying "hi there" and did not send any pictures, I received no response. The next day, a random number called me asking me who I was. I told this person my name and it turns out it was a concerned mother who was trying to find out who has been trying to get in contact with her 14 year old daughter. As I spoke with the mother, she tells me that others have sent pictures of their privates parts as texts and that her daughter is upset crying and that they were going to the police. I told the mother where I received the number from and that the posting online stated that the person was 21 years old and that I had no intentions of calling her 14 year old. So I proceed to help the mother out by giving her all the information from the post. I also flagged the post so no one else would be in my position. Clearly someone was trying to play a sick joke on this girl. Being that I am in the position that I am in, will I get charged with anything or am I ok because of false posting and the fact that I did not send any inappropriate pictures and that I helped the mother out? I have also never been in trouble with the law under traffic violations.


Asked on 7/06/13, 4:55 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Edward Hoffman Law Offices of Edward A. Hoffman

I see no reason to believe you've committed a crime, or even done anything that could reasonably be mistaken for a crime.

It would be a crime to knowingly send sexual pictures or messages to a minor. But you didn't send such pictures, your text message was inoffensive, and you had no reason to know your messages were going to a minor.

Unless there is more to the story, you should have nothing to worry about.

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Answered on 7/06/13, 5:01 pm


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