Tips to avoid committing crimes with technology
Nearly everyone uses computers for either work, pleasure or school. While computers and other technologies have many benefits, they can also land you in legal trouble in certain circumstances.
A few tips could prevent you from unwittingly violating a law designed to protect individuals from sex crimes.
Computer practices to avoid
The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network provides a comprehensive list of ways a person could use digital technology in a sexually offensive manner. Any dishonest representation of your age or identity for the purpose of initiating a sexual or romantic meeting could violate state or federal statutes.
You should also never send sexually explicit pictures, videos or content without the consent of the receiver. This includes photos of yourself in sexual poses and the unsolicited sharing of any type of pornographic image, as well as the unwelcome sharing of sexually explicit emails, jokes, chats, texts and even emojis. Any distribution of sexual or intimate images of a person (or threatening to do so) without that person’s consent will likely result in a crime.
Technology actions to avoid
While computers represent a large arena for sexual crimes, other technologies can also result in crimes of a sexual nature. Monitoring someone’s whereabouts through the use of GPS or other tracking systems could lead to charges of cyberstalking. The use of a phone, camera or video recorder for the taking of sexually explicit photos or videos without a person’s consent could lead to a criminal charge.
The legal issues for the accepted use of technology remain in flux. Protect yourself by learning about situations to avoid.