In worse cases, images have been seen or stolen by others, and these pics have become fodder for blackmail, harassment, bullying, and ultimately great shame. At least one eighteen-year-old girl committed suicide after a nude photo she sent to her boyfriend was also sent to hundreds of other students in her school. The current spate of sexting, which is particularly on the rise among girls between 11 and 13 years old, is causing authorities to reevaluate laws related to the crime.
State sex offender laws were mostly composed during the 1990s and deal broadly with issues including kiddie porn. However, the broadness of those laws is coming under increasing scrutiny as a growing population of activists and legislators call for their reform.