Searching For Sexting Photos, Cops Want To Photograph Teen's Erect Penis To Make Comparison
Sexting has almost become a way of dating in the technology-crazed world we live in. It’s also scary to know that once you hit that send button, your photos, bare as they may be, are out for the world to see. This is why it's recommended to never take or send nude photos. One teen didn't heed this advice, and now he's in a whole world of trouble.
Cops in Manassas City, Va., are doing everything in their power to prove that Trey Simms, 17, sexted his 15-year-old girlfriend. And how are they trying to prove this? They want to force the teen to have an erection, take a photo of his penis, and compare it to the original sent photos.
According to a report from The Washington Post, the teen is facing two felony charges for possession of child pornography and manufacturing child pornography. To produce an erect penis, The Post reported, the police would take the boy to the hospital where he would receive an injection. Jessica Foster, the boy’s attorney, was told "we just take him down to the hospital, give him a shot [to make him erect], and then take the pictures that we need.”
Foster then asked the detectives what they would do with the photos and how they would use them. They said they would, "use special software to compare pictures of this penis to this penis,” Foster said. "Who does this? It's just crazy."
NBC Washington reported that the case first began in July when the teen was arrested. Simms’ aunt Stacy Bigley told the news about the incident. "He said they took him to a room and took pictures of his genitalia,” Bigley said. “I asked if they’re allowed to do that, and [Trey] said, ‘I tried to refuse,’” which he did, he didn’t want to do it. They told him if he did not they would do it by force.”
“I think it’s effectively child abuse, that’s what it is from my perspective,” Carlos Flores Laboy, the boy's guardian ad litem said. "They're using a statute that was designed to protect children from being exploited in a sexual manner to take a picture of this young man in a sexually explicit manner. The irony is incredible."
“From what I gather, there’s no intention to charge and this was handled inefficiently,” Foster said.
The case was first reported by the boy's girlfriend’s mother. The girl, however, is not being charged with anything. She, too, had sent Simms explicit photos and videos. If convicted, Simms could serve jail time until he’s 21 and would have to register as a sex offender.