Is it illegal to take photos of minors, especially those you do not know, without parental consent?

Question

I have found out that someone, a grown male at that, has been taking photos of my preschool-aged daughter. I know the guy, but we are NOT acquaintances by any means, and he does not know my children on any basis whatsoever. Any laws out there to protect my kids from freaks like this?

There is no reasoning for it. He is not open about it, especially to me, as I have confronted him a few times over it. Other people have told me about this, or else I would not have known. The obsession is with my oldest daughter alone, not my other three children. This guy lives in a near by town that we seldom visit, however I have found that I dread local activities w/ my kids in my home town, because he shows up. He keeps everything secretive, usually trying to avoid being noticed by me.

Answer 1

I'm totally clueless about your rights in the legal dept. as far as this scenario goes, but i would go to your local law enforcement office and ask there for starters, depending on where you are, laws vary, there may be something they can do, perhaps not, but i would find out either way, if for no other reason, to make them aware of it and make them document your inquiry. next i would definitely try to get some pictures or video footage of him, and document everytime you see him -date,time,location,what's he driving,what's he wearing,etc.
believe me when say that documenting EVERYTHING is one of the most important things you can do. be vigilant, let him know everytime you see him, that you see him, hell get loud, make a scene, whatever you can do to draw attention to him.

he sounds like a potentially dangerous person to me. better to be safe than sorry. your children's safety lies in your hands, don't fail them, protect them.

when all else fails when dealing w/ predators and sick , twisted individuals of the like, "ain't nothing a good 'ol louisville slugger can't handle. "

Answer 2

It may be quite innocent. He may not be any kind of a freak, and probably isn't. After all, it doesn't seem he is hiding the fact he is taking photos. Camera use in public places has never been illegal.
But, in this day and age, I would ask him what the photos are for, just in case. Who knows, maybe he is a commercial or hobby photographer, or a stringer for a magazine working on an article.
But, if he has no good answer, tell him to think about it because the police will be asking. Then make the call.

Answer 3

With the increasing amount of reliance on on-the-spot videotaping or picture taking, the rules of consent are evolving, especially for children. Basically, with a few exceptions, it's perfectly legal for strangers to photograph or videotape your child, and they're free to post or publish the images as well. Parents do not have to give their consent or sign a release. However, some states have passed legislation to change that, and school districts do take steps to protect their children. The states are Georgia and New Jersey I believe.

Answer 4

If he's taking the pictures in a public setting, I don't think that's against the law. Have you talked to the guy? Maybe he isn't what you fear he might be. I understand your concern though. These are crazy times we live in and sometimes I think my daughter would be better off if we moved to a country that is more child friendly. There are a lot of evil people out there.

Answer 5

It depends on which country you are in. In Australia it is illegal for a person to take photographs of another person, especially a woman or a child, without permission. The only exception to that rule is if the photographer is a professional.
To my knowledge, a similar law exists in New Zealand and Britain, I believe, has a law about photographing children.
As for other countries, the laws vary.

Answer 6

Well friend i guess no state allows a minor to be married legally or officially.That's a suicide for the state authorities to allow. But here is a loophole of the law that you can exploit.A woman who has attained the age of puberty can marry out of her own free will only thing is that her marraige wont be officially recognised as of now.But when she attains majority the marraige will then be voidable at her choice.Remember voidable and NOT void. It means the woman has an option to disown the marraige then or can continue out of her own free will.If the latter happens then only at that time the state will recognise the marraige as legal but not now at present untill the girl becomes a major.

Answer 7

It depends if the pictures could be construed to be sexually arousing to an adult. If they were of your daughter at a pool for example, that might be the case; or if she was in a procative pose etc.

The judgements in this area are very grey. It's difficult, but not impossible to prosecute if someone is taking pictures of a child in a public place.

Answer 8

Sad....I love photography and have gotten great shots...it was just a personal rule of mine that I never took pics 0f anybody without their consent. Or if I did.....I always went to them personally and asked for permission before I would print or publish them (that ment even kids in background).
I thought it was the law.

Answer 9

There are stalking laws, I would report it to the police, there are lots of pedophiles who have restrictions and limitations of their ability to interact with children. However, that said, if it's on public land and not in a restroom, and in plain public view, there are no restrictions about taking pictures.

Answer 10

It is not illegal but you should be concerned about what he is doing with these photo's. Get the police involved if necessary and confront the bloke.