Editorial

Parents vs Wal-Mart Over Bath-Time Photos of Kids

Parents love to take pictures of their kids. One couple did just that and took pictures of their daughters after bath-time, with some of the photos showing the children partially wrapped in a towel.

When they sent the pictures to an Arizona Wal-Mart to be printed, an employee turned over the bath-time photos of the kids to authorities, deeming the partially nude photos to be inappropriate and shocking. Police was called and they in turn determined the photos to be child erotica and child pornography.

What followed was just nightmare for the parents who thought they were recording cute photos of their kids after bath time: their kids taken over by child protective services for a month, the mother suspended from a teaching job for a year, the couple put on a list of sex offenders, and having to fight to get custody of their children back.

A medical examiner found no sign of abuse and a wise judge ruled the photos were harmless.

Parents, be careful what you send to an outside printing service. Some shops have a strict policy and will report any pictures where nakedness is present, especially where children are involved. (This goes the same to posting pictures on the Web.)

Why not invest in your own printer and print your own family pictures?

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