SALT LAKE CITY, Utah -The Utah House of Representatives passed a bill Tuesday to lower criminal penalties for teenagers who distribute pornography.
The possible change in law, which must be approved by the state Senate, follows a 'sexting' incident last year in Davis County, when teens were caught sending nude photos to each other via cell phones.
"What we are doing is changing the penalties for distribution of pornographic material and material harmful to minors and we are doing it by age because of the reality that their perception is different," bill sponsor Sheryl Allen told Utah public radio station KCPW .
"We want to get them into juvenile court, and we want to assist them," Allen said.
The bill changes the penalty for distributing pornography from a felony to a misdemeanor for first-time juvenile offenders.
The bill was supported by state prosecutors, the Utah Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice and the Utah Sentencing Commission.
