FRANKFORT - Youngsters would be spared a felony if they got caught trading nude pictures among themselves - a practice known as sexting - under a bill that passed out of the Kentucky Senate by a unanimous vote.

Senate Bill 37 would address people under the age of 18 who violate the state law by sending sexually explicit images - both photos and videos - of themselves or other minors via mobile phones. It would reduce the penalty from a felony to a Class-B misdemeanor for the first offense and a Class-A misdemeanor for all subsequent offenses.

The bill went to the House Judiciary Committee on March 7, 2016.