Bill to close child porn loopholes gets final OK

Lawmakers have adopted legislation to tighten restrictions on Web-based child pornography.

House Bill 156 now goes to Gov. Nathan Deal’s desk. Rep. Jay Neal, R-LaFayette, said the Georgia Bureau of Investigation asked for the bill to close a loophole dealing with the advertisement online for minor children involved in the sex trade.

“There was a loophole that did not allow them to prosecute for that,” Neal said.

The bill also includes “Romeo and Juliet” language for teens who send naked photos of each other via text message, a practice known as “sexting.” Current law could make it a child pornography felony if two 16-year-olds in a consensual relationship sent each other naked photos. HB 156 would make it a misdemeanor.

About the Author

Aaron Gould Sheinin

Marjorie Taylor Greene’s voters are sticking with her through her political evolution

Congresswoman Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s supporters are sticking with her even as she splits from Republican Party leadership

15m ago

Republicans see shutdown fight as a test for Ossoff’s 2026 playbook

Ossoff is widely viewed as the most vulnerable Democratic senator up for re-election next year, the lone Democrat running in a state President Donald Trump carried in 2024.

Pro-Trump former state Rep. Vernon Jones runs for Georgia secretary of state

Vernon Jones, a former Georgia state representative who left the Democratic Party, is running for secretary of state as a Republican.

The Latest

Credit: Jason Getz/AJC

Marjorie Taylor Greene’s voters are sticking with her through her political evolution

15m ago

Republicans see shutdown fight as a test for Ossoff’s 2026 playbook

Pro-Trump former state Rep. Vernon Jones runs for Georgia secretary of state

Featured

Credit: Philip Robibero / AJC

Council president race highlights politics of policing in Atlanta

The race pits an established council member who warns against public safety changes against a progressive who wants a new approach.

Why some Atlantans are saying ‘Hello’ again, or for first time, to landlines

Whether it’s a parent restricting a child’s access to social media or a young adult avoiding doom scrolling, a new generation of landlines is trending.

I-85’s landmark piano in the sky to come down ahead of music shop’s move

This is the sign’s swan song. Cooper Piano in Brookhaven has sold its building on Northeast Expressway and will move its showroom to a smaller space in Chamblee.