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Star Ledger
Editorial
July 23, 2009

Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt (D-Camden) has proposed legislation that would encourage education, not prosecution, for teenagers who send nude photos of themselves via cell phone and the internet. The bill calls for common sense by prosecutors -- and lawmakers should approve it when they reconvene.

The bill would require teens facing such charges to enroll in a program, to be developed by the Attorney General's office, that would teach them about the potential ramifications of engaging in risky internet behavior. Companion bills would require schools and cell-phone stores to hand out information on the dangers of sending sexually explicit images.

The well-publicized case of a 14-year-old Clifton girl who faced charges of child pornography in March after posting naked pictures of herself on the social networking site MySpace highlighted the need to school teenagers in using good judgement on their phones and online.

In that case, the teenager could have faced a prison sentence and been required to register as a sex offender under Megan's Law. Wisely, the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office decided to drop the charges provided she completes six months of counseling. At the same time, an overzealous Pennsylvania prosecutor tried to bring child pornography charges against three teenage girls who sent cell-phone pictures of themselves in their underwear. Thankfully, a federal judge blocked the move.

The Daily Journal
Editorial
July 22, 2009

Common sense in Trenton?

It may be rarely demonstrated in the halls of the state Legislature, but a measure introduced by Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt aimed at curtailing "sexting" shows the virtue isn't extinct.

Sexting is when teens send explicit photos of themselves (nude or scantily clothed) through their cell phones or engage in racy online behavior, which is apparently a popular activity among younger people. Some law enforcement officials say, technically, those actions amount to distributing child pornography; but the lawmaker's bill would ensure that teens are educated about the dangers of their actions, not prosecuted as criminals.

The legislation is the right approach to take in dealing with a growing problem. According to a survey by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, about one in five teens have sent a nude or seminude photo of themselves via cell phones or posted one on the Internet.

Kids sometimes do stupid and dangerous things. That's all part of growing up. But the proper way to handle that is to treat them as stupid kids, not charge them with criminal offenses that could last a lifetime.

Star Ledger
Elise Young
July 21, 2009

Juveniles who send sexually explicit photos on their cellular phones should be educated, not prosecuted, a state lawmaker argues.

Assemblywoman Pamela R. Lampitt (D-Camden) has introduced three bills to curb the practice, called "sexting." The package is the latest in a wave of state legislation designed to help young users of the internet and electronic devices to avoid sex predators, bullies, stalkers and other dangerous contacts.

"Young people need to understand the ramifications of their actions, but they shouldn't necessarily be treated as criminals," Lampitt, said yesterday in a news release. "We need to create a path that placed education and forgiveness before arrest and prosecution."

One in five teenagers have sent nude or semi-nude electronic images of themselves to friends or posted on a website, according to a 2008 survey by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. One-third of teenage boys and one-quarter of teenage girls said they've viewed explicit images whose sender wanted them to remain private.

In March, a Clifton teenager was charged with distribution of child pornography because she posted nude photos for her boyfriend on MySpace. In April, Glen Rock police told youths to delete copies of a student's nude photo distributed by cellular phone.

Lampitt's proposals would involve:

Associated Press
Bruce Shipkowski
July, 19 2009

TRENTON, N.J. - Like most states, prosecutors and law enforcement officials in New Jersey are struggling over how to deal with teens who engage in racy online behavior, including sending explicit photos over their phones , so-called "sexting."

Their actions technically amount to distribution of child pornography, a charge that could carry severe, lifelong penalties.

But one Garden State lawmaker has recently introduced legislation aimed at curtailing "sexting" and similar problems, hoping it will make teens and parents better educated about the activities and the potential problems they can create.

"Kids may be kids, but they can be forced to grow up in a hurry when an explicit photograph meant only for one person gets forwarded and reforwarded throughout their school," said Assemblywoman Pamela R. Lampitt, D-Cherry Hill. "Young people, especially teen girls, need to understand that sending inappropriate pictures is not only potentially illegal, but can leave an indelible mark on them socially and educationally."

According to a 2008 survey by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, roughly one-in-five teens , including 11 percent of girls aged 13 to 16 , have sent a nude or seminude picture or video of themselves to friends or posted one on a Web site.

Philadelphia Inquirer
Jonathan Tamari and Adrienne Lu
June 23, 2009

TRENTON - Property-tax rebates would be restored for about 500,000 New Jersey homeowners under state budget revisions approved yesterday.

The latest spending proposal would reinstate at least partial rebates for those earning up to $75,000 and also allow more households to deduct all or some of their property-tax bills from their state income tax returns.

The changes, made possible by a more than $400 million windfall from a tax amnesty, will provide rebates for many homeowners who were expected to get no checks this year, and expand the deduction eligibility to reach about 200,000 more people.

Households with incomes up to $250,000 would be eligible for the deduction, up from $150,000.

For many homeowners, the new budget, now at $29 billion, represents a swift change from the one that was supposed to be voted on Thursday. That proposal would have eliminated the rebate program for everyone but senior citizens and the disabled.

Now, most homeowners earning up to $50,000 can expect the same rebate as last year, an average of $890. Households making between $50,000 and $75,000 can expect two-thirds of last year's rebate, $670, on average.

The changes bring the program for homeowners back up to what Gov. Corzine proposed in March.

But it will still be significantly smaller than a year ago. About 500,000 fewer homeowners will receive rebates compared with 2008, when checks went to those earning up to $150,000.