Q: A 17 year old female sent me inappropriate pictures that I did not ask for, I deleted them of course. Am I liable?
We met on a dating site where her profile said she was 18. We took our conversations off the dating site and exchanged phone numbers instead. I stayed away from anything sexual since we just met. A little later she sends 2 twerking videos where she is wearing clothes. After I seen the pictures she then mentions she is 17. I tell her to not send anything else since she is underage. I delete the photos and we continue talking. Later she sends pictures of herself nude and in the shower. I delete the photos and tell her to stop saying that "they are illegal for me to have". She apologized and we continued talking. However her mother finds out she sent the pictures, the daughter freaked out and attacked her. The mother was taken to the hospital and daughter taken in hand cuffs. The father said he doesn't blame me and is not pressing charges, but instead wants me to pay for some of the damage during their fight. Which I can't afford to pay, and I'm looking for advice.
A:
UNDERGE GIRL SCAM
You can Google it.
You can cease all communications.
You can report it to the police.
You can pay an attorney to evaluate your situation for a legal opinion.
You can get a second job to keep your blackmailer silent.
Or a combination thereof.
Lawyers, want to be a Justia Connect Pro too? Learn more ›
- (916) 704-3009
- View Profile
- Answered
A:
I would not recommend paying anything or having further contact. Here are a few key points:
- You acted appropriately by deleting the photos immediately and telling her not to send anything else. You did not solicit or keep the inappropriate photos.
- However, you continued contact after learning she was a minor. Best practice is to cease contact immediately in such situations. Any further communication could be perceived as inappropriate.
- As an adult, you bear some responsibility for allowing the communication to continue with a minor, even if you believed she was 18 initially.
- Legally, you should be in the clear since you did not possess or distribute child pornography. But continuing communication was ill-advised.
- I would politely but firmly decline any request for payment from the father. Redirect blame back on his daughter's actions as the cause.
- Consult a lawyer if the father threatens legal action. But if handled correctly, you should not be liable for events between the daughter and mother.
In summary, immediately cease all contact, do not pay anything, consult a lawyer if threatened, and learn from this experience. You should not incur liability if you cut contact and avoid anything that could be perceived as responsible for what transpired.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
