FAYETTEVILLE, Sept 5 — A 16-year-old girl, was charged with two felony sex crimes…against herself. Her crime? Taking a nude selfie of herself for her boyfriend. She was arrested in February by the Cumberland Country Sheriff’s Office.
According to the Fayetteville Observer, the warrant listed Brianna Denson as both the perpetrator and the minor victim in two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. For taking the photo, it was a second-degree exploitation charge while merely having the photo in her possession was considered a third-degree exploitation offence.
Researcher Jeff Temple of the University of Texas Medical Branch said that if the standard was applied across the country, millions of kids would be charged with child pornography as his research had found that 28 per cent of teens send naked photos of themselves to other youngsters.
Denson’s boyfriend Cormega Zyon Copening was also charged with making nude selfies, possessing nude selfies of himself as well as a copy of a nude selfie from Denson.
If convicted, Denson would have faced jail and being forced to register as a sex offender. She is likely to get away with a misdemeanor instead via a plea bargain while her boyfriend’s case is still pending.
