Snapchat Snafus Can Get You in Serious Trouble
Snapchat is all about short-lived multimedia messaging that can lull people into believing that they can send whatever strikes their fancy – with impunity – when this is not actually the case. In fact, it is ill-advised. Yes, the messages you send on Snapchat are intended to remain only for one viewing, but if you have heard it once, you have heard it an infinite number of times (and it remains true) – once on the internet, always on the internet.
Sexually Explicit Shares
It is not illegal to share sexually explicit pictures of yourself with another consenting adult. However, if you are not 100 percent sure of whom the person or people on the other end of your message are, it could amount to a criminal offense. If the recipient is a minor (anyone under the age of 18 in the State of Texas) or an officer posing as a minor, you could find yourself facing serious charges. Further, although the content of your Snapchat is intended to disappear, there are plenty of things that can stop or delay this from happening, including:
The snapchat does not disappear until every recipient has opened it.
The recipient can very easily save the message.
The recipient can take a screenshot of your content.
While Snapchat maintains that it removes messages from its server, there are other means by which authorities can obtain Snapchat content from your electronic device (with the appropriate warrant).
In other words, sexually explicit content can come back to haunt you.
Invasion of Privacy
If you post content on Snapchat that includes an image of someone else who had not consented to have his or her picture taken (and was not in a public place when the picture was taken), the person can have you slapped with the invasion of privacy charges. Further, the photo subject may prevail if he or she can demonstrate that the photo is both objectionable and an intrusion on his or her reasonable expectation of privacy.
Making Threats
Making violent threats is illegal, and this includes making violent threats on Snapchat. Online posts have a way of becoming hyperbolic very quickly, but this does not negate the fact that if your content is viewed as a threat by its recipient, the court may agree. The more serious the threat is considered to be, the more serious the charges you could face (hate crime charges are possible).
Photographic or Video Evidence
If you are facing a criminal charge, any photos or videos you post on Snapchat (believing they will disappear in a poof) can be used as incriminating evidence against you. Criminal cases are typically quite complicated and can hinge on seemingly minor details, including the details found in an errant photo or video on Snapchat.
Seek the Experienced Legal Counsel of an Experienced Killeen Criminal Attorney Today
If you are facing criminal charges, attorney Brett Pritchard at The Law Office of Brett H. Pritchard in Killeen, Texas, is committed to using his skill, knowledge, and vast experience to build your strongest defense in support of your rights. Mr. Pritchard is here to help, so please do not hesitate to contact or call us at 254-501-4040 for more information today.