4-12-2019
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — State lawmakers have passed HB 1742, a bill aimed at keeping youth who send sexually explicit texts from being charged under adult sex crime laws.
It would create a new group of crimes reserved specifically for minors who are caught with explicit images of other minors.
Most of the new youth-only crimes would be misdemeanors which would exempt convicted young people from having to register as a sex offender.
Exchanging images of a child 12 or younger would remain a felony, as would the sale of images of another minor and exchanging pictures of some sex acts.