...Another quick dispatch from the frontlines of the culture war...

I quote:
"NJ girl, 14, arrested after posting nude pics

By BETH DeFALCO – 18 hours ago

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — A 14-year-old New Jersey girl has been accused of child pornography after posting nearly 30 explicit nude pictures of herself on MySpace.com — charges that could force her to register as a sex offender if convicted.

The case comes as prosecutors nationwide pursue child pornography cases resulting from kids sending nude photos to one another over cell phones and e-mail. Legal experts, though, could not recall another case of a child porn charge resulting from a teen's posting to a social networking site.

MySpace would not comment on the New Jersey investigation, but the company has a team that reviews its network for inappropriate images. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children tipped off a state task force, which alerted the Passaic County Sheriff's Office.

The office investigated and discovered the Clifton resident had posted the "very explicit" photos of herself, sheriff's spokesman Bill Maer said Thursday.

"We consider this case a wake-up call to parents," Maer said. The girl posted the photos because "she wanted her boyfriend to see them," he said.

Investigators are looking at individuals who "knowingly" committed a crime, he said, declining to comment further because the case is still being investigated.

The teen, whose name has not been released because of her age, was arrested and charged with possession of child pornography and distribution of child pornography. She was released to her mother's custody.

If convicted of the distribution charge, she would be forced to register with the state as a sex offender under Megan's Law, said state Attorney General Anne Milgram. She also could face up to 17 years in jail, though such a stiff sentence is unlikely."

Got that?? This is brought to you by the same logic that led to "we had to destroy the village, in order to save it." This girl has been arrested and will now face criminal charges for - uh - victimizing herself.

Is this someone's smart idea for how to deal with the fact that humans become interested in sex at around age 13 to 14? Make them sex offenders? Give them a criminal record that will follow them the rest of their lives? In some jurisdictions (like mine!) you have to notify your neighbors if you're a registered sex offender and move into the neighborhood - I can just picture that: "Be careful of that 15 year-old girl who just moved in next door. She might - uh - post pictures of herself on myspace."

There is a notion that children are "minors" and are the responsibility of their parents, because they are not yet old enough/mature enough to make their own decisions. That's why we require the parents of a minor to sign legal contracts on their behalf, etc. Did you notice that NOPLACE in that article did anyone ask "what about the parents?" In my day, we'd have said "she didn't choose her parents right" and shaken our heads and felt bad for her. Not hauled her in front of a state AG and made noises about 17 year prison sentences.

Our society has this ridiculous notion that kids are vacuum-bagged little pockets of innocence until they're 18 - or that they're filthy little monsters who should be crushed if they don't act the part. What's next? Are they going to arrest minors for viewing "child pornography" if they look at themselves in a mirror? Are they going to arrest a 15 year-old boy for "producing gay child porn" if they catch him jerking off? If they do that, there won't be a single male under the age of 18 who isn't wearing handcuffs.

Yes - the "purity" of childhood is a myth. Where does it come from? It's largely victorian christianity-inspired nonsense. Indeed, the whole myth of "childhood" as a special period in a young person's life arose around that time. The children of the upper classes wore their cute uniforms and were tutored in the social graces and whatnot, while the kids of the working classes worked in factories from the age of 11 to help build the wealth that the upper class used to protect their precious little poppets. (As an aside, prostitution was at its highest ever during the victorian period in England. They were, literally, fucking hypocrites.) Most of the world, as I've written before, doesn't really have a notion of "childhood" as a special period - and it certainly doesn't last until you're 18. During most of the history of humanity, you were a man at 16, or a mother at 15.

Contrast this stupidity over myspace photos to the reality: a significant percentage of kids lose their virginity before they're 15. Because that's when biology sets them up to do it. Are they emotionally mature enough for it? Probably not. But biology says they're ready to go, and dumps them full of hormones that make them want it. That's the reality of life as a human being and we have to stop being in denial about it. Are kids emotionally mature enough for sex at 15, 16? We should be asking, with just as much justification, "are adults, at 46?"



mjr.
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PS - I (*ahem*) lost my virginity rather late - at 18 - but not for want of trying. Don't arrest me.