SA wants national action on 'sexting'

South Australia will call for a national approach to so-called sexting at a meeting of federal and state attorneys-general in Melbourne on Friday.

SA Attorney-General John Rau says underage people taking or sending explicit photos of themselves on mobile phones or through social media is an important issue.

Sexting among teens has created a number of challenges for the legal system, Mr Rau said.

Under current laws, minors who take and send images and videos of themselves naked or partially naked are at risk of being convicted of child pornography offences.

Likewise, the recipient of these images may also be charged with the possession of child pornography.

Mr Rau said there was no doubt a teenager taking a picture of themselves in a state of undress and then sending it on was making a bad decision.

But he said they should not be treated in the same way as a predator who exploits children and produces child pornography.

Taking a naked selfie as a teenager should not land them on the sex-offender register or in court on charges of producing child pornography, he said.

SA wants a national approach for consistency, which would require the creation of a new offence to deal with the phenomenon.