People use social media to share their lives with their friends and family. New parents and grandparents post endless pictures of their children or grandchildren. With the changes that social media has gone through in recent years, innocent people have been flagged for their photos more often than ever before.
Under the new guidelines for social networks, people have been charged or may be charged with a child pornography-related crime. There are many misunderstandings that can happen with this. To keep yourself free of situations that can lead to charges, learn what actions could lead to trouble.
Posting nude or semi-nude pictures of children
Everyone has that embarrassing picture in their family’s photo album. They’re maybe one or two years old in the bathtub, enjoying their time. What has been a staple in everyone’s photo albums can now potentially lead to child pornography charges.
For most, this may seem like a harmless photo. Just a kid enjoying a bath. But when that picture lives online, social media content moderators will have no choice but to take down the picture because the child is semi-nude or fully nude. This may even lead to federal agents charging you with child pornography.
Sexting teens
When teens share explicit images with one another on social media, the outcome could be way worse than they think. These teens think that this message is harmless and private. They don’t think of the potential danger that they’re putting themselves in and the fact that they’re circulating a young person’s explicit picture. Because of this, criminal charges could follow both the receiver and sender.
Viewing sexual content unintentionally
When you unintentionally encounter images and videos of child pornography, you could receive criminal consequences. If you click on a link on a social media site and it has these pictures or videos, your computer could also get viruses that could act as a host for child pornography.
These mistakes can happen to anyone that doesn’t fully understand social media policies. If you are faced with charges, the best thing you can do is contact a lawyer. The Law Offices of Anthony N. Palumbo can help you navigate this situation and protect you from an unfair misunderstanding. Call 908-272-9700 or contact us online for a free initial consultation.
