A pair of bills bolstering protections for New Mexico's children has passed the House of Representatives.
One closes a loophole in existing law and makes it a crime to send naked pictures of people to anyone under 16. The other makes it mandatory for parents or guardians to receive court-ordered family services when there is strong evidence of child neglect or abuse, even when the victim is not taken into state custody.
Currently, offenders who sent pictures of their own genitalia to a child faced a fourth-degree felony, but not if they sent obscene picture of someone else. Doing the latter now would also be a felony sexual offense.
The bills sponsored by Belen Republican Kelly Fajardo and approved Wednesday now move to the Senate for consideration.
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