Canadian teen convicted of 'sexting' photos of boyfriend's ex
A Canadian teenage girl has been found guilty of distributing child pornography in connection with "sexting" pictures of her boyfriend's ex-girlfriend, the youth crown prosecutor for Victoria said Friday.
The British Columbia case of the then 16-year-old, who is not identified because she is a minor, is believed to be one of the first cases in Canada where a teenager has been convicted of child pornography charges related to "sexting."
The teenager, who also was convicted of uttering threats, is out on bail while awaiting sentencing, Crown Prosecutor Chandra Fisher said. She declined to speculate on what sentence the teen might face.
Calling the case "precedent-setting," Fisher said the case should serve as a warning to teens about what they text and post online.
The case began in November 2012 when the teen learned that her 17-year-old boyfriend was still in contact with his former girlfriend.
"The accused was not at all happy that he was still in touch with his ex," Fisher told CNN.
The teenager initially threatened the ex-girlfriend on Facebook, the prosecutor said. She then texted five explicit pictures of the ex-girlfriend that she found on her boyfriend's phone to a group of people, Fisher said.
The teen's attorney, Christopher Mackie, said the charges were inappropriate.
"Our sights have always been set on the constitutional question. ...She never denied that she did this," he told CNN. "Online bullying, yes. Child pornography, no."
