The Australian Classification Board is investigating the Sydney, Australia publication for violation of The Classification Act. The law prohibits the depiction of nudity or sexual activity of people under the age of 18.
Fans of the magazine don't seem to mind this type of photography, but I sure do. Underage models are too young and impressionable (sometimes even at age 18) to understand or appreciate how posing in their birthday suits can negatively affect their careers and personal lives.
Models can become type-cast for this type of work, possibly shutting them out of top jobs in the fashion industry. The photos will follow them for the rest of their careers. There's also a certain degree of personal fallout. Parents, relatives, and close friends sometimes lose respect for models who pose in the nude. This type of photography also promotes child pornography. When a model is this young, their bodies may not be fully developed, giving perverts access to otherwise prohibited material.
Plain and simple, photo spreads of nude or partially nude jail bait is exploitation. I'd throw the book at the magazine as well as the lousy modeling agency who cavalierly admitted the photo shoot went too far. In The Daily Telegraph report, agent Priscilla Leighton-Clarke admits,
Damn straight.
"It's wrong that our girl has appeared in a magazine exposing her breasts when she's so young."
[Source and photo]
