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The police want to educate children and adolescents about the dangers of nude pictures (symbolic image)
Photograph:
Willie B. Thomas / Getty Images
Nude pictures are still a thing for young people. That is why the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) has now launched a campaign to counteract this. With the hashtag #dontsendit, the BKA warns against sending one's own nude pictures via messenger services or social networks.
As the Federal Ministry of the Interior announced, there is a threat of serious criminal consequences, among other things. "This phenomenon plays a major role in the criminal area of child and youth pornographic content," it says. More than 40 percent of the suspects in the 2022 police crime statistics were under 18 years old. "Don't send it" translates as "Don't send it".
According to the ministry, if children under the age of 14 take nude pictures or videos of themselves, then it is child pornographic content. Anyone who produces, sends, receives, forwards or stores such recordings is liable to prosecution. "Since the summer of 2021, this has been a crime." Youth pornography photos of young people under the age of 18 and at least 14 can also have criminal consequences.
According to Faeser, no "schoolyard fun"
Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser spoke of the fact that the topic was "by no means" a "schoolyard fun". Many children and adolescents are not aware of the dangers associated with this. "For years, the number of cases in the dissemination of child and youth pornography by children and adolescents themselves has been increasing," Faeser explained. "We have to stop this development by raising awareness and preventing it."
Experts warned that such recordings are forwarded and published, for example, by other people. In addition to one's own family, friends, neighbors, teachers or future employers could find the pictures. "This can lead to bullying at school or at work, slur on social media, or other consequences."
hba/dpa