May 15, 2008 | Sex & Society

Pic takers off the hook ... for now

The Orange County district attorney’s office will not be prosecuting UC Irvine Police Dispatcher Scott Cornelius and his friend Allen Rockwell, who were accused of taking and posting pictures of unsuspecting high-school water polo players. The images were found on several gay adult Web sites.

“Legally there were no criminal charges we could file,” said Farrah Emani, a spokesperson for the OCDA. “Unless new evidence emerges, as the case stands, our review of everything found that it didn’t rise to the level of the crime.”

Cornelius, however, will remain on paid leave while the University investigates whether he violated any school policies.

The story, however, may not end there. The state assembly public safety committee agreed to push a bill that would make the publishing of a photograph of a (clothed) minor on adult Web sites punishable by up to a year in jail and/or a $5,000 fine. The bill is pending passage on the appropriations committee.

It seems there will always be someone willing to push the limits of appropriate behavior -- and someone else pushing to have such behavior criminalized.