Full question:
An adult (Age 18+) contacted a 15 year old minor over an instant messaging program. He spoke to her and said something along the lines of teaching her to masturbate over the phone or teach her how to have phone sex. He asked her to give him a quantity of nude pictures of herself. For whatever unknown reason, she complied to this request and then after she showed him he turned around and publicly defamed and harassed her. He then distributed her picture to a 17 year old male which then assisted in the public defamation of the female individual. He tries to justify himself by saying it's her fault and he did nothing wrong at all. He says it was her fault that she chose to give him the picture and he holds no responsibility of the actions and therefore holds no reliability or has broken any laws for that matter. I would like to know how to bring this to justice because I feel like she was done wrong. Yes, I know she did something stupid but that doesn't mean him, being the adult, should have no repercussions of his actions.
- Category: Criminal
- Date:
- State: Florida
Answer:
The following are FL statutes:
847.0135 Computer pornography; traveling to meet minor; penalties.--
(1) SHORT TITLE.--This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Computer Pornography and Child Exploitation Prevention Act."
(2) COMPUTER PORNOGRAPHY.--A person who:
(a) Knowingly compiles, enters into, or transmits by use of computer;
(b) Makes, prints, publishes, or reproduces by other computerized means;
(c) Knowingly causes or allows to be entered into or transmitted by use of computer; or
(d) Buys, sells, receives, exchanges, or disseminates,any notice, statement, or advertisement of any minor's name, telephone number, place of residence, physical characteristics, or other descriptive or identifying information for purposes of facilitating, encouraging, offering, or soliciting sexual conduct of or with any minor, or the visual depiction of such conduct, commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084. The fact that an undercover operative or law enforcement officer was involved in the detection and investigation of an offense under this section shall not constitute a defense to a prosecution under this section.
(3) CERTAIN USES OF COMPUTER SERVICES OR DEVICES PROHIBITED.--Any person who knowingly uses a computer online service, Internet service, local bulletin board service, or any other device capable of electronic data storage or transmission to:
(a) Seduce, solicit, lure, or entice, or attempt to seduce, solicit, lure, or entice, a child or another person believed by the person to be a child, to commit any illegal act described in chapter 794, chapter 800, or chapter 827, or to otherwise engage in any unlawful sexual conduct with a child or with another person believed by the person to be a child; or
(b) Solicit, lure, or entice, or attempt to solicit, lure, or entice a parent, legal guardian, or custodian of a child or a person believed to be a parent, legal guardian, or custodian of a child to consent to the participation of such child in any act described in chapter 794, chapter 800, or chapter 827, or to otherwise engage in any sexual conduct,commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084. Any person who, in violating this subsection, misrepresents his or her age, commits a felony of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084. Each separate use of a computer online service, Internet service, local bulletin board service, or any other device capable of electronic data storage or transmission wherein an offense described in this section is committed may be charged as a separate offense.
(4) TRAVELING TO MEET A MINOR.--Any person who travels any distance either within this state, to this state, or from this state by any means, who attempts to do so, or who causes another to do so or to attempt to do so for the purpose of engaging in any illegal act described in chapter 794, chapter 800, or chapter 827, or to otherwise engage in other unlawful sexual conduct with a child or with another person believed by the person to be a child after using a computer online service, Internet service, local bulletin board service, or any other device capable of electronic data storage or transmission to:
(a) Seduce, solicit, lure, or entice or attempt to seduce, solicit, lure, or entice a child or another person believed by the person to be a child, to engage in any illegal act described in chapter 794, chapter 800, or chapter 827, or to otherwise engage in other unlawful sexual conduct with a child; or
(b) Solicit, lure, or entice or attempt to solicit, lure, or entice a parent, legal guardian, or custodian of a child or a person believed to be a parent, legal guardian, or custodian of a child to consent to the participation of such child in any act described in chapter 794, chapter 800, or chapter 827, or to otherwise engage in any sexual conduct,commits a felony of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
(5) OWNERS OR OPERATORS OF COMPUTER SERVICES LIABLE.--It is unlawful for any owner or operator of a computer online service, Internet service, or local bulletin board service knowingly to permit a subscriber to use the service to commit a violation of this section. Any person who violates this section commits a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable by a fine not exceeding $2,000.
(6) STATE CRIMINAL JURISDICTION.--A person is subject to prosecution in this state pursuant to chapter 910 for any conduct proscribed by this section which the person engages in, while either within or outside this state, if by such conduct the person commits a violation of this section involving a child residing in this state, a child's guardian, or another person believed by the person to be a child or a child's guardian residing in this state.
(7) EFFECT OF PROSECUTION.--Prosecution of any person for an offense under this section shall not prohibit prosecution of that person in this state or another jurisdiction for a violation of any law of this state, including a law providing for greater penalties than prescribed in this section or any other crime punishing the sexual performance or the sexual exploitation of children.
847.0137 Transmission of pornography by electronic device or equipment prohibited; penalties.--
(1) For purposes of this section:
(a) "Minor" means any person less than 18 years of age.
(b) "Transmit" means the act of sending and causing to be delivered any image, information, or data from one or more persons or places to one or more other persons or places over or through any medium, including the Internet, by use of any electronic equipment or device.
(2) Notwithstanding ss. 847.012 and 847.0133, any person in this state who knew or reasonably should have known that he or she was transmitting child pornography, as defined in s. 847.001, to another person in this state or in another jurisdiction commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
(3) Notwithstanding ss. 847.012 and 847.0133, any person in any jurisdiction other than this state who knew or reasonably should have known that he or she was transmitting child pornography, as defined in s. 847.001, to any person in this state commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
(4) This section shall not be construed to prohibit prosecution of a person in this state or another jurisdiction for a violation of any law of this state, including a law providing for greater penalties than prescribed in this section, for the transmission of child pornography, as defined in s. 847.001, to any person in this state.
(5) A person is subject to prosecution in this state pursuant to chapter 910 for any act or conduct proscribed by this section, including a person in a jurisdiction other than this state, if the act or conduct violates subsection (3).
The provisions of this section do not apply to subscription-based transmissions such as list servers.
847.0138 Transmission of material harmful to minors to a minor by electronic device or equipment prohibited; penalties.--
(1) For purposes of this section:
(a) "Known by the defendant to be a minor" means that the defendant had actual knowledge or believed that the recipient of the communication was a minor.
(b) "Transmit" means to send to a specific individual known by the defendant to be a minor via electronic mail.
(2) Notwithstanding ss. 847.012 and 847.0133, any person in this state who knew or believed that he or she was transmitting an image, information, or data that is harmful to minors, as defined in s. 847.001, to a specific individual known by the defendant to be a minor in this state commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
(3) Notwithstanding ss. 847.012 and 847.0133, any person in any jurisdiction other than this state who knew or believed that he or she was transmitting an image, information, or data that is harmful to minors, as defined in s. 847.001, to a specific individual known by the defendant to be a minor in this state commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
The provisions of this section do not apply to subscription-based transmissions such as list servers.
847.0133 Protection of minors; prohibition of certain acts in connection with obscenity; penalty.--
(1) It is unlawful for any person knowingly to sell, rent, loan, give away, distribute, transmit, or show any obscene material to a minor. For purposes of this section "obscene material" means any obscene book, magazine, periodical, pamphlet, newspaper, comic book, story paper, written or printed story or article, writing paper, card, picture, drawing, photograph, motion picture film, figure, image, videotape, videocassette, phonograph record, or wire or tape or other recording, or any written, printed, or recorded matter of any such character which may or may not require mechanical or other means to be transmuted into auditory, visual, or sensory representations of such character, or any article or instrument for obscene use, or purporting to be for obscene use or purpose. The term "obscene" shall have the same meaning as set forth in s. 847.001.
(2) As used in this section "knowingly" has the same meaning set forth in s. 847.012(1). A "minor" is any person under the age of 18 years.
(3) A violation of the provisions of this section constitutes a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
This content is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Legal statutes mentioned reflect the law at the time the content was written and may no longer be current. Always verify the latest version of the law before relying on it.
