A man admitted to sexual exploitation of a minor for solicited nude photos of a year-old girl. File photo MLive. Dustyn Olmstead, 31, of Vermontville, pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a minor, which carries a penalty of at least 15 years, and up to 30, in prison, and distribution of child pornography, a five- to year felony. He will be sentenced Dec. The investigation began in February when an Allegan County school district found improper text messages on a school-owned laptop it had loaned a student.

Likewise, high rates of teen pregnancies and STIs have been shown to directly correlate with so-called abstinence-only education in high schools, since students are unprepared for safe sexual activity. Feeling good about your body, documenting it in a photo, and inviting someone to participate in that by sharing the photo with them is not morally abhorrent. In an ideal world, it would be fun and relationship-affirming. Unfortunately, we live in a world where the decision to send nudes has its own set of risks. We live in a world where female, intersex, and transgender bodies are seen as shameful and dirty, and where people will interpret the sending of a naked photo as evidence against your character. Plus, if you are under the age of 18, both you and the person you're sending them to — regardless of the context in which you sent the photos — can face legal consequences due to sexting-related laws.

Kelly Wallace is CNN's digital correspondent and editor-at-large covering family, career and life. She is a mom of two girls. CNN If you think "my teen would never sext," you might be mistaken. Mom and Dad, take a deep breath. Your teen may already be sexting.

Updated August Washington passes new teen sexting law. On April 24, , Gov. We have published a new article with additional information about the new law.