That could make all the difference, if so, because my understanding has always been that as long as the teens are within a certain age proximity it's not considered statutory, though were I in a position where it were relevant I'd want to check with a lawyer before acting on it. In other words, an 18 year old might be in the clear, at least with regard to this law, if they sent an explicit pic to a consenting 16 year old, but sending to a 13 year old even with consent would be illegal, and both would be illegal for a 21 year old. I'm assuming consent, of course, but when you raise the question of why pics between minors is illegal when actual sex isn't, well, if my understanding is correct (and I can't be certain it is) this is the ONLY reason consensual sex between minors is, under certain circumstances, legal. I support laws against a teen is being subjected to explicit images against their will, or sending nude pics of someone without their consent, regardless of the ages involved.