You Can Get Into Legal Trouble Online Even If Your Actions Do Not Amount To Online Solicitation
If you are old enough to remember the days of My Space, and especially if you belong to the generation that considered Internet use a nerdy hobby worthy of derision, then the thought of how much trouble teens can get into through routine use of the Internet is horrifying. In the old days, you had to hitchhike to put yourself in that much danger. Adults will say anything to gain the trust of unsuspecting teens. Of course, the Internet holds plenty of dangers for adults, too. You can never be sure of who you are talking to or who is on the receiving end of the form where you just typed your contact information. The flirtatious person you meet while playing an online game could be a scammer, or worse, a minor or an undercover law enforcement officer pretending to be a minor. What you say can get you into legal trouble when you communicate with minors online, even if what you say does not fit the definition of solicitation. If you are being accused of harmful online contact with a minor, contact a Pittsburgh sex crime lawyer.
Pennsylvania Law Against Harmful Contact With a Minor
Pennsylvania law defines the crime of harmful contact with a minor as communications by an adult to a minor, where the communication discusses sexual matters or the adult sends explicit content such as images or videos. The charges only apply if the adult is at least four years older than the minor. Therefore, an 18-year-old who tells dirty jokes to a 16-year-old during an online video game is not guilty of harmful contact with a minor, but a 21-year-old who does the same would be guilty.
This is different from online solicitation of a minor. Charges of online solicitation of a minor apply if an adult communicates with a minor online, inviting the minor to meet in person or to send explicit content, including explicit photos of himself or herself.
In the News
Throughout the past year, Pennsylvania lawmakers have attempted to increase online protections for minors. SB 22 aims to place restrictions on social media content that exposes minor users to a risk of harm. The bill in its current form is sufficiently broad that includes not only venues for chat with adults who might engage the minors in harmful or inappropriate conversations, but also interactions with chatbots that might encourage young people to engage in risky behavior. If it becomes law, it will not remove civil or criminal liability from adults who personally engage in harmful communication with minors or who solicit minors to meet with them in person.
Contact Gary E. Gerson About Criminal Defense Cases
A criminal defense lawyer can help you if you are facing criminal charges related to harmful contact with a minor or online solicitation of a minor. Contact the law offices of Gary E. Gerson in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania about your case.
Sources:
legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/LI/CT/HTM/18/00.063.018.000..HTM
6abc.com/post/jarred-easter-arrest-trevose-pa-man-accused-stalking-florida-influencer/17598320/
