4chan Member Gets Jail Time For Sending Dirty Pics To School

[Womplord]

He probably should be punished for this. It's probably not the most serious thing ever, and he certainly doesn't seem to be dangerous or anything, but a crime is a crime. That said, he gets points for being hilarious.

If its not serious... and he doesn't seem to be dangerous... then why does he need to be punished? I think it's disgusting that they are sending this guy to prison for this. It's stupid how these borderline differences matter so much. 'Oh, the guy in the images was 17 and a half, he should burn.'

Maybe because it's a crime? Seems like a pretty good reason right there to punish someone...

So yeah, there was no malicious intent in this mans crime, but it was still illegal, and the kid in the pictures was most definitely wronged. He shouldn't have made the pictures available in the first place, granted. Nevertheless, a society based on law can't just ignore said laws whenever they feel like it. If a kid steals sweets, gets caught, and gets off scot free, then the laws against theft are useless, and that kid learns nothing. I'm not saying the punishment has to be excessive, especially for first time offenders, but there has to be some sort of consequence, or the law becomes impotent.

So we should just keep enforcing pointless laws for no reason other than because it's the law? How about actually changing the law so it serve's a purpose? I just think that what they are doing to this kid is barbaric. The kid in the pictures is an idiot for posting the pictures in the first place, he should have seen this coming. And I know you will probably say 'oh but he shouldn't have to worry about these things because the law should stop that!'. Well that's not the way the world works. You can't just have a law to stop the feelings of an idiot from being hurt, there are life lessons to be learned from this. You can't just go around posting naked images of yourself and not expect any consequences. And the emotional damage of the man going to prison will be a lot worse anyway. Besides, it's not like he posted the images to the whole school. Just to the teachers. There's no way the school would have found out anyway. (although I guess they have now that the authorities have told everyone)

He distributed sexually explicit pictures of an underage boy. Laws against what is technically the distribution of child pornography are not what I would call pointless. Just because this one guy isn't a perverted porn dealer doesn't mean that the law shouldn't apply. The kid shouldn't have posted the pictures in the first place, but that doesn't negate the fact that what the guy did was illegal. Sure, he didn't necessarily obtain the pictures illegally, although he could be said to be technically implicit in the creation of them if he was in the chatroom where they were taken. The act of distribution is illegal though, and for good reason. The kids feelings don't actually come into it.

I just don't understand why it has to be so rigid and uncompromising. I understand why the distribution of child porn is illegal: So that it is difficult for people creating child porn for money to actually be successful. However, rather than imprison 'distribution of child porn,' perhaps the law should punish 'distribution of child porn for personal gain,' or something like that.

And I'm not saying that the laws should be extremely flexible either, I understand that this kid will be punished. I'm just saying that if laws don't work properly, they should be changed so that they do, so that IN FUTURE a similar case of unfair imprisonment doesn't occur. I'm not arguing that the kid didn't obey the law, I'm just criticizing the law in itself, and I regard this imprisonment as immoral, and therefore the law that was used to imprison him as immoral as well.

The distribution of kiddie porn is illegal for more reasons than preventing profit. As a minor, the kid in the pictures can't legally consent to appearing in porn, the reason being that minors aren't really old enough to make reasoned independent decisions of this kind. Seventeen, I grant you, is very nearly an adult, but there needs to be a clear legal definition for the law to function efficiently. If you don't have one, then it gets a lot harder to enforce the law.

Only imprisoning people who distribute for personal gain, if gain here is monetary, does little to stop the pedophiles who create, distribute and view this stuff for their own sexual gratification. There'd be a huge loophole allowing people to create and distribute this stuff non-profit, and the kids would still be victim to it.

The law is in place for good reasons, and the guy broke that law. A fair court would recognise that he's no deviant and give him a lenient sentence. That said, he was well aware of what he was doing, and deserves to answer for it. His intentions, however harmless, don't alter the impact of his actions. If good people do bad things, they get punished. The law is blind, etc.

Well the only other argument that I can offer is that 17 is old enough to make decisions, and that the fault in the law that I was looking for was that the age needs an adjustment as this kid pretty much knew what he was doing. Other than that... you win, I can't think of anything else. I offer you this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnIZfn6XKF4

 

[Nouw]

This case is stupid on both sides, I say we just all learn a lesson of "I won't be doing THAT again" and move on.

Sums it up beautifully.

They should be focusing on more important things than people sending naked pictures of themselves and he should be doing something else. Anything else.

Aside from that, 'sweet beyond belief.' It doesn't matter if he believes it or not, he's just doing his job. Not sure who I'm siding as the Pros and Cons are pretty equal.

 

[Tharwen]

This interview also revealed that participants in the 4chan discussion (though not Bean, apparently) expressed the twisted hope that the student would commit suicide.

Whoa...

There are people who hope for that sort of thing? How?

 

[Harrowdown]

He probably should be punished for this. It's probably not the most serious thing ever, and he certainly doesn't seem to be dangerous or anything, but a crime is a crime. That said, he gets points for being hilarious.

If its not serious... and he doesn't seem to be dangerous... then why does he need to be punished? I think it's disgusting that they are sending this guy to prison for this. It's stupid how these borderline differences matter so much. 'Oh, the guy in the images was 17 and a half, he should burn.'

Maybe because it's a crime? Seems like a pretty good reason right there to punish someone...

So yeah, there was no malicious intent in this mans crime, but it was still illegal, and the kid in the pictures was most definitely wronged. He shouldn't have made the pictures available in the first place, granted. Nevertheless, a society based on law can't just ignore said laws whenever they feel like it. If a kid steals sweets, gets caught, and gets off scot free, then the laws against theft are useless, and that kid learns nothing. I'm not saying the punishment has to be excessive, especially for first time offenders, but there has to be some sort of consequence, or the law becomes impotent.

So we should just keep enforcing pointless laws for no reason other than because it's the law? How about actually changing the law so it serve's a purpose? I just think that what they are doing to this kid is barbaric. The kid in the pictures is an idiot for posting the pictures in the first place, he should have seen this coming. And I know you will probably say 'oh but he shouldn't have to worry about these things because the law should stop that!'. Well that's not the way the world works. You can't just have a law to stop the feelings of an idiot from being hurt, there are life lessons to be learned from this. You can't just go around posting naked images of yourself and not expect any consequences. And the emotional damage of the man going to prison will be a lot worse anyway. Besides, it's not like he posted the images to the whole school. Just to the teachers. There's no way the school would have found out anyway. (although I guess they have now that the authorities have told everyone)

He distributed sexually explicit pictures of an underage boy. Laws against what is technically the distribution of child pornography are not what I would call pointless. Just because this one guy isn't a perverted porn dealer doesn't mean that the law shouldn't apply. The kid shouldn't have posted the pictures in the first place, but that doesn't negate the fact that what the guy did was illegal. Sure, he didn't necessarily obtain the pictures illegally, although he could be said to be technically implicit in the creation of them if he was in the chatroom where they were taken. The act of distribution is illegal though, and for good reason. The kids feelings don't actually come into it.

I just don't understand why it has to be so rigid and uncompromising. I understand why the distribution of child porn is illegal: So that it is difficult for people creating child porn for money to actually be successful. However, rather than imprison 'distribution of child porn,' perhaps the law should punish 'distribution of child porn for personal gain,' or something like that.

And I'm not saying that the laws should be extremely flexible either, I understand that this kid will be punished. I'm just saying that if laws don't work properly, they should be changed so that they do, so that IN FUTURE a similar case of unfair imprisonment doesn't occur. I'm not arguing that the kid didn't obey the law, I'm just criticizing the law in itself, and I regard this imprisonment as immoral, and therefore the law that was used to imprison him as immoral as well.

The distribution of kiddie porn is illegal for more reasons than preventing profit. As a minor, the kid in the pictures can't legally consent to appearing in porn, the reason being that minors aren't really old enough to make reasoned independent decisions of this kind. Seventeen, I grant you, is very nearly an adult, but there needs to be a clear legal definition for the law to function efficiently. If you don't have one, then it gets a lot harder to enforce the law.

Only imprisoning people who distribute for personal gain, if gain here is monetary, does little to stop the pedophiles who create, distribute and view this stuff for their own sexual gratification. There'd be a huge loophole allowing people to create and distribute this stuff non-profit, and the kids would still be victim to it.

The law is in place for good reasons, and the guy broke that law. A fair court would recognise that he's no deviant and give him a lenient sentence. That said, he was well aware of what he was doing, and deserves to answer for it. His intentions, however harmless, don't alter the impact of his actions. If good people do bad things, they get punished. The law is blind, etc.

Well the only other argument that I can offer is that 17 is old enough to make decisions, and that the fault in the law that I was looking for was that the age needs an adjustment as this kid pretty much knew what he was doing. Other than that... you win, I can't think of anything else. I offer you this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnIZfn6XKF4

Aww, that's quite flattering. It's all in good fun though, right?

 

[Requx]

I lold that was funny. I dont get it cause shes 18 but the last line was just priceless there.

 

[tkioz]

I'm always weary about making comments critical of 4chan, because frankly I really don't want to attract their attention, and I think that says a lot about how they are precised on the 'net.

 

[justnotcricket]

This case is tragic because of the level of stupidity on both sides.

Obviously, the Bean dude should not have redistributed the photos, and it sickens me that there are people out there who will try and *make* others commit suicide. I think some punishment would do him some good. I don't wish rape upon him at all, but neither do I think he should get off scot free. His lawyer is full of crap, but that's his job.

Equally obviously, Person No 1 shouldn't be posting that kind of stuff up on any sort of public space if he's not prepared for it to be used in ways that might be detrimental to him.

 

[ZodiacBraves]

Lol at the lawyer.

The guy who wanted a kid to commit suicide is "sweet beyond belief"

Asshole should get some federal prison time, hopefully gets his shit kicked out.

You might want to re-read the OP. It says that it was other members of 4chan that expressed those wishes, not the kid himself.

Off-topic: Am I the only one who couldn't stop thinking about Bean from Ender's Game while reading this?

 

[BioHazardMan]

Lol at the lawyer.

The guy who wanted a kid to commit suicide is "sweet beyond belief"

Asshole should get some federal prison time, hopefully gets his shit kicked out.

You might want to re-read the OP. It says that it was other members of 4chan that expressed those wishes, not the kid himself.

Off-topic: Am I the only one who couldn't stop thinking about Bean from Ender's Game while reading this?

No I understand, but he was doing this knowing that they had viscous intention. Either way, this person isn't a "sweet" kid.

 

[Logic 0]

This article is hurting my brain with all of it's weirdness.

P.S: Finally we have an seal to stamp bad ideas with.

 

[antipunt]

I side with the ppl ITT who express the 'shades of grey' mentality. Wish we could just 'ctrl-z' this entire ordeal. The whole thing was really really stupid, but federal prison is -harsh- mang.

 

[Niccolo]

I wonder though, if Bean was originally facing jail time for possession and distribution of child pornography, shouldn't that mean Person No. 1 is facing charges of creation and distribution of child pornography? Or does it not go both ways?

It should go both ways, but this being the American court system we know justice will be on the side of the innocent little high schooler, not the mean scary 4channer. Even though the high schooler created child pornography and the 4channer only distributed it.[/quote]

Also, there's the problem that the only ID they have to go on at the moment (since 4Chan couldn't even track them down and we all know just how batshit tenacious they can be, especially for a chance to be malicious) is the guy's penis. They can't exactly go running a comparison against college kids.

 

[Calderon0311]

4chan has users? Where can I sign up? I've checked all around the site, but can't find the registration page!

 

[dalek sec]

I can't tell who's side I'm on.

The idiot who stripped in front of a webcam?

Or the jerk who sent the photos to the guy's school?

I'm on Team None-Of-The-Above here.

I have to agree, I'm pretty much stumped on who's side I should be on. I think I'm gonna go with Knack here and just sit this one out for once. D:

 

[Jursa]

Sooooooo... if you stalk someone underage you get a sentence of 45 days... if you take a picture of them you get a sentence of 5 years? Not against the second one, just wondering why the first one is considered fair. I mean when has anybody stalked somebody for a positive reason.