As of July 2019, 26 states in the United States had sexting laws but only 9 explicitly included the word sexting. A total of seven states included the potential for felony punishment in their sexting laws. Among the U.S. states, 25 addressed sending such messages to individuals under 18 years old by minors.
Number of U.S. states with state sexting laws as of April 2019, by policy
*Includes sexting” – includes “sexting” in the statute; “Addresses under 18 sending or receiving” – includes provisions if minors have sent or received sexually explicit images of other minors; “Diversion” – includes an option to pursue the case outside of the criminal/juvenile justice system; “Informal” – allows for/prescribes counseling or another informal sanction; “Misdemeanor” – potential for a misdemeanor punishment; “Felony” – potential for a felony punishment. All states have some variation of a law that prohibits sending explicit or obscene material to — or depicting — minors that might apply (child pornography).
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Cyberbullying Research Center. (February 3, 2020). Number of U.S. states with state sexting laws as of April 2019, by policy [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 21, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/509314/us-states-with-state-sexting-laws-policy/
Cyberbullying Research Center. "Number of U.S. states with state sexting laws as of April 2019, by policy." Chart. February 3, 2020. Statista. Accessed December 21, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/509314/us-states-with-state-sexting-laws-policy/
Cyberbullying Research Center. (2020). Number of U.S. states with state sexting laws as of April 2019, by policy. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 21, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/509314/us-states-with-state-sexting-laws-policy/
Cyberbullying Research Center. "Number of U.S. States with State Sexting Laws as of April 2019, by Policy." Statista, Statista Inc., 3 Feb 2020, https://www.statista.com/statistics/509314/us-states-with-state-sexting-laws-policy/
Cyberbullying Research Center, Number of U.S. states with state sexting laws as of April 2019, by policy Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/509314/us-states-with-state-sexting-laws-policy/ (last visited December 21, 2024)
Number of U.S. states with state sexting laws as of April 2019, by policy [Graph], Cyberbullying Research Center, February 3, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/509314/us-states-with-state-sexting-laws-policy/