Risks of Sexting – Part III

Sexting has long-term consequences that can follow your child into adulthood.  Children have actually found themselves being charged with possession of child pornography, because any sexual image of a minor is considered child porn. Yes, even if the child took the picture and sent it themselves. This refers to the sender, as well as the receiver.

Many times what kids do not realize is that once photos enter cyberspace, there is no getting them back. What if these photos followed your child around and into their adult life? Can you imagine your child having to explain why they were in possession of child pornography, on a job or college application? Every time a photo cropped up, they could find themselves in a very awkward position, having to explain to their spouse, employers, friends, and family. All it takes is for the photos to end up in the hands of one wrong person. A simple right click and save, and your child’s photo could be used by sexual predators. What was meant as private is now available for any and all to see.

Nightline ran a story about a young lady whose photos are still following her around. She uploaded the images online to a private account. Sometime afterwards, the account was hacked. Once the hackers had the photos, they were posted to innumerable pornographic websites. Sadly, there is very little she and her family can do about it.

The best weapon against sexting is prevention. Please talk to your teenagers about this issue. Better yet, start at a young age instilling scripture in your child’s heart. We must teach our children to love God’s word. One way we do this is to begin their training in the toddler years.  Children are never too young to start learning scripture.