Child Pornography Charges for Minors: A Troubling Trend

A shocking incident in Columbus, Ohio, captured on body camera audio and a doorbell camera, revealed that instead of treating an 11-year-old girl as a victim of manipulation and exploitation, a police officer threatened to charge her under child pornography laws. Experts argue that this incident highlights the common practice of law enforcement misusing laws meant to protect children by threatening to charge them with being part of the same crime. The incident also exposes the lack of standardized training for officers on how to respond to child exploitation cases. Advocates emphasize that minors who are victims of sexual abuse are often the ones punished for the abuse they experience, and the culture assigns complicity to young girls who are too young to legally consent to sex.