Teen Who Allegedly Taped Friends Having Sex Could Face Pornography Charges

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A teenager who allegedly videotaped two other teens having consensual sex could face sexual exploitation charges related to the possession of pornography and obscene material if the video was circulated, according to police.

The video was allegedly filmed at what West Des Moines police called an underage drinking party, according to the Aug. 7 police report.

The suspected videographer is a girl, believed to be between 14 and 16 years old, the report said. Her father reportedly called the mother of two boys, ages 12 and 14, at the home where the party allegedly took place.

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During the party, two teens, ages 14 and 15, reportedly engaged in a consensual sex act in front of the man’s daughter, who allegedly videotaped it.

The homeowners’ sons told West Des Moines Police Officer Nathan Ladwig that they were present when the videotaped act took place, but left the room because they felt “uncomfortable.”

The boys denied having seen the tape and said they had no knowledge of anyone else seeing it.

If the video was sent to anyone else criminal charges are possible. In Iowa, “sexting” can carry Class C felony charges and a fine of up to $50,000, according to Iowa Code Chapter 728. Prohibited acts outlined in the code include the transmission of images or video showing “nudity of a minor for the purpose of arousing or satisfying the sexual desires of a person who may view” the depiction.

West Des Moines authorities did not return phone calls regarding the report. The investigation was classified as “active,” according to the report.

Last year, six northeast Iowa teens were charged with misdemeanor charges stemming from the distribution of an obscene photo that had been taken by a classmate, KCCI reported.

In that case, a teenaged girl reportedly took her own picture with a cell phone camera and then sent it to a teenaged boy, who forwarded it to several of his friends. One of the teens who received the message reported it to his parents, who in turn contacted officials at his school in Independence. School officials contacted law enforcement and the six teens were soon arrested.

At the time, Iowa Department of Justice cybercrime investigator Michael Ferjak told the Des Moines television station that teens don’t always understand the full implications of sexting or that they could be charged with distributing child pornography.

“To them, it’s just 30 seconds of fun, 30 seconds of bad judgment without any consideration for what that leads to or could lead to,” he said in the November 2012 television interview. “What it has become is a major concern for the criminal justice system.”