ACLU of Iowa to Represent Knoxville Teen in “Sexting” Lawsuit

11-12-2016 Iowa:

Knoxville parents are defending their daughter’s right to free speech and for them to raise their child the way they see fit.

The ACLU of Iowa announced that it will represent a 14-year-old Knoxville, Iowa, girl who was threatened with criminal charges after texting suggestive photos of herself to a boy. As a result, a local county attorney is threatening her with sexual exploitation of a minor—herself.

The two photos at issue don’t show any nudity. In one of the photographs, she is wearing a sports bra and boy shorts. In the other, she’s in boy shorts with her hair covering her breasts.

In the lawsuit, the girl is identified as Nancy Doe. Because of the photos, the local county attorney has threatened Nancy Doe with charges that, if she were convicted of them, would come with the possibility of prison time and placement on the sex offender registry. To avoid prosecution, he told her, she would have to sign an admission of guilt, enroll in a pre-trial diversion program involving community service, attend classes on the dangers of sexting, and have no access to her phone or laptop for a set period of time.

No Monetary Reward Sought

Doe’s parents object to the threats of prosecution as well as the county attorney’s alternatives. In the lawsuit, which seeks no monetary reward or damages, the Does ask only that the threats of prosecution, as well as required actions to avoid prosecution, be dropped.

Rita Bettis, ACLU of Iowa legal director, said, “The Does are reasonably concerned that the pre-trial diversion program would have a harmful effect on their daughter’s self-esteem and punish her for doing something that was hardly obscene or against the law. They do not want her to be labeled or shamed for her behavior.” ..Continued.. by Veronica Fowler