Quinn Receives Sexting Bill

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Apr 28, 2010 2:40PM

A bill that softens the penalty for students caught "sexting" has passed the state legislature and is now on Governor Quinn's desk. The bill applies to teens under the age of 18 who distribute racy photos of other teens but won't apply to students who may receive or send photos but don't "distribute" them. Penalties include juvenile court supervision, mandatory counseling, or community service but state Sen. Ira Silverstein, D-Chicago, who sponsored the bill, said the option will be there to include more severe penalties if the need arises. Silverstein hopes the bill helps educated students involved in such shenanigans so that incidents such as Plainfield's recent sexting scandal can be avoided in the future. A spokesman for Quinn said the governor plans to review the bill before making a decision regarding signing it into law.