Kansas lawmakers are discussing a House bill that that would create new penalties for transmitting and possessing nude photos of children between the ages of 12 and 19 years old.

Republican Rep. Ramon Gonzales of Perry introduced the bill last year in the House Committee on Corrections and Juvenile Justice. He called the measure an alternative to current laws that make first-time sexual exploitation of a child under 18 years old a felony.

Those laws apply only to adults over the age of 18 and do not address the practice of sending to others sexually suggestive messages or photos, commonly known as sexting.

Lawmakers heard testimony Monday about how the measure deals with transmitting and possessing nude images of children.

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