The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota is challenging a Rice County prosecutors' attempt to punish a teen for sexting. The 14-year-old girl is facing a felony for sending an explicit selfie of herself through Snapchat to a teen boy she liked at her school.

After the girl sent the Snapchat, the boy shared it with other students at the school, according to the ACLU. The teen girl in the case, identified by the legal group only as "Jane Doe," was charged with distribution of child pornography. "To suggest that a juvenile who sends a sexually explicit selfie is a victim of her own act of child pornography is illogical," Teresa Nelson, Legal Director of the ACLU-MN, said in a statement. "Child pornography laws are supposed to protect minors from predators, and Jane Doe is not a predator."



"I'm not a criminal for taking a selfie," the teen said in a statement through the ACLU. "Sexting is common among teens at my school, and we shouldn't face charges for doing it. I don't want anyone else to go through what I'm going through."

If she is found guilty, she would be forced to register as a predatory sex offender for the next ten years, according to the ACLU.



Rice County Attorney John Fossum confirmed the charges with Minnesota Public Radio Thursday. Fossum said he is not able to discuss the case because it involves a minor. The ACLU argues in its brief that the prosecutor is abusing the intent of the child pornography statute. "It is intended to prosecute people who endanger or victimize a juvenile," the ACLU said. "If there is no victim, then there shouldn't be a prosecution."

"Why are we victimizing the victim?" the teen's father said.

If the charges are not dismissed, the case will go to trial this winter.

