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Bill Would Make 'Sexting' By Minors A Criminal Offense In Pa.

HARRISBURG (CBS) - The Pennsylvania House has passed a bill that would create a criminal offense for "sexting" by minors.

This is the second straight two-year session in which state lawmakers have tried to address the problem of minors electronically sending sexually graphic images to each other.

Delaware County House Democrat Greg Vitali says the bill would improperly target teens engaging in consensual behavior, "We are going way beyond our role in the legislature when we try to come down with the hammer of a misdemeanor of the second degree for harmless sexual exploration upon minors."

But Thomas Caltagirone, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, says law enforcement is looking for guidance on the issue, "We do not need to drag our feet on this. I think this is a good bill; we fine tuned it as best we could."

The measure now goes to the state Senate.

Reported by Harrisburg Bureau Chief Tony Romeo, KYW Newsradio 1060

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