House overwhelmingly supports bill subjecting teen sexters to 15 years in federal prison

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Teens who text each other explicit images could be subject to 15 years in federal prison under a new bill that just passed the House of Representatives. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), ranking member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, has called the measure "deadly and counterproductive." "While the bill is well intended, it is overbroad in scope and will punish the very people it indicates it is designed to protect: our children," Lee said during a House floor debate over the bill. The bill would also raise "new constitutional concerns" and "exacerbate overwhelming concerns with the unfair and unjust mandatory minimum sentencing that contributes to the overcriminalization of juveniles and mass incarceration generally." Introduced by Rep. Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) in March, the "Protecting Against Child Exploitation Act of 2017" passed the House by an overwhelming majority last week. Only two Republicans - Reps. Justin Amash of Michigan and Thomas Massie of Kentucky - voted against the bill, along with 53 Democrats.

source: Article 'House Overwhelmingly Supports Bill Subjecting Teen Sexters to 15 Years in Federal Prison' by Elizabeth Nolan Brown; reason.com/blog/2017/05/31/house-overwhelmingly-supports-bill-subje; Reason.com; 31 May 2017