A 14-year-old New Jersey girl accused of child pornography after posting nude pictures of herself on MySpace has been ordered to undergo counseling but won't face more serious charges or be forced to register as a sex offender.
The girl must undergo at least six months of counseling and stay out of trouble, the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office said. If she does, all charges against her will be dropped.
The Clifton teen was initially arrested and charged with possession of child pornography and distribution of child pornography. If convicted on those counts, she could have been required to register as a sex offender.
The girl's case received support from some high-profile activists. The mother of the New Jersey girl whose death inspired Megan's Law spoke out against prosecutors who charge teenagers with child porn for distributing nude photos of themselves.
Maureen Kanka said the prosecutors are harming the children more than helping them.
Kanka said the girl needs help, not legal trouble.
The girl's name has been kept confidential because she's a minor, but she allegedly posted 30 naked photos of herself on the social networking site.
Prompted by a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, authorities investigated the case for a month before zeroing in on the suspect, who said she posted the pictures for her boyfriend’s pleasure. Anyone who was online “friends” with the girl through the site or knew her name could see the pictures.
