The mother of the New Jersey girl whose death inspired Megan's Law is criticizing prosecutors who charge teenagers with child porn for distributing nude photos of themselves.
Maureen Kanka said Thursday that the prosecutors are harming the children more than helping them.
Her comments came as authorities in Passaic County charged a 14-year-old girl with child pornography for posting nude photos of herself on MySpace.com.
If she is convicted, she would have to register with the state as a sex offender under Megan's Law.
The laws generally require governments to alert neighbors of convicted sexual predators in their midst.
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.
The teen was charged with one count each of possession and distribution of child pornography. Police remanded her into her mother’s custody.
A sheriff’s department spokesman told NorthJersey.com that more arrests in the case are possible.
Copyright Associated Press
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