In Joplin, a 23-year-old police officer is accused of possessing child pornography, a felony, after videos and pictures of his 17-year-old girlfriend were found on his cellphone, the Joplin Globe reports. He's on administrative leave, and the city still hasn't said how they will deal with him. The Globe's report makes an interesting point about the case:
State and federal laws make possession of nude photographs or videos of anyone younger than 18 illegal. Missouri law, however, does not prohibit someone 21 or older from having consensual sexual relations with a 17-year-old. Statutory sex offenses apply to juveniles younger than 17. Roberts previously declined to comment on the apparent incongruity in the two laws.
The girl, though, says the relationship -- and the photos -- happened before she turned 17.
