Romantic relationships can make people do some pretty foolish things, especially those who feel like they have been betrayed by their significant other. Sometimes, the desire for revenge is so strong that the wronged person becomes blinded to how their act of retribution could have self-destructive consequences.
This appears to be what happened in a case involving a Minnesota woman who now faces criminal charges for possession and dissemination of child pornography. When she discovered a homemade sex video on her boyfriend’s cellphone, the 21-year-old woman posted it online to get back at him, even though she knew that at least two women in the video were underage.
As in Wisconsin, Minnesota’s age of sexual consent is 16. Two of the girls involved were 17-year-olds at the time the video was filmed. However, it is illegal to film or distribute sex videos involving anyone younger than 18.
The defendant’s boyfriend is also facing a felony charge. The 26-year-old man was charged with making pornography involving minors.
According to statements she made to law enforcement, the young woman knew that some of the participants in the video were minors. However, she posted the video to a social media site anyway because she was so consumed with anger that her then-boyfriend “had been with another female.”
It’s possible that the defendant didn’t realize the scope of legal consequences she might face by posting the video. It’s also possible that she was unable to think rationally because the news of her boyfriend’s infidelity had put her in a highly emotional state.
However, this case should serve as an important warning that child pornography and other sex crimes involving minors are among the most harshly punished offenses. As such, a jilted girlfriend’s desire for revenge may have unintentionally implicated her in her boyfriend’s alleged crime.
Source: TwinCities.com, “Burnsville woman faces child porn charges after posting boyfriend’s sex video for revenge,” Marino Eccher, Jan. 2, 2013