SMH: Teenager Prosecuted For Having Nude Selfies On His Phone.

Copeland

Copeland with girlfriend Brianna

Cormega Copening, from Fayetteville, North Carolina, was just 16 years old when he was prosecuted under child pornography laws for sexually exploiting a minor – himself.

He  struck a plea deal to avoid both jail time and being registered as a sex offender.

The teenager was charged with four counts of making and possessing pornographic images of himself, and a single count of possessing a naked image of 16-year-old girlfriend Brianna Denson.


But while the pictures were considered illegal under North Carolina state law, sexual intercourse between the pair would not have been – with the legal age of consent set at 16.

The graphic images on Copening’s phone were first discovered when authorities investigated the widespread sharing of sexual images without consent at his school.


Both Copening and his 16-year-old girlfriend, Brianna Denson, with whom he had been exchanging the selfies, have taken plea deals to prevent themselves going to prison and having to register as sex offenders.

They were ordered to pay court costs, attend a class in good decision making, and undertake 30 hours of community service.

The pair are also prohibited from owning a mobile phone for a year.

Assuming they stay out of trouble for that year their records will be wiped clean.

Copening was the starting quarter back for his school’s American Football team, a position he lost in the aftermath of criminal charges being made against him. He has since been re-instated by the team.