Sexting Minors Spared from Sex Registry

Minors in New Jersey who engage in "sexting" will avoid placement on the state's Megan's Law registry, under a bill signed into law by Gov. Chris Christie.

The registry includes the names of those convicted of a variety of sexual offenses. However, the measure signed Tuesday would exclude from the registry any "young person who has been adjudicated delinquent for an offense that would constitute 'sexting,' under the following circumstances;

• the case only involves creating, showing or distributing "a photograph involving nudity through the use of an electronic communication device, an interactive wireless communications device or a computer;"
• the photographer and the person in the photo are juveniles at the time;
• the person whose nudity is shown in the photo has "knowingly consented" to it.
  

The exclusions are part of a new law imposing a $30-a-month fee on those convicted of sex offenses. The money would be used to cover the expense of supervising the offenders.The bill would also provide training for parole officers to determine if supervised sex offenders have illegally used electronic devices in violation of restrictions.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.