IN THE NEWS: LEWD PHOTOS-MAINE
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) – People from Maine would be banned from sending sexually explicit digital images to some minors under a Democrat’s bill. The state’s high court last year reversed some convictions against a Presque Isle man because they said sexually explicit photos he sent to minors online didn’t constitute indecent exposure. Legislators have unanimously recommended State Sen. Michael Carpenter’s bill. Maine residents would face up to a year in jail for sending digital messages and images of sexual acts or genitals to anyone under 14.
ON THE WEB: MORMONS ONLINE
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Mormon missionaries are doing more proselytizing online than ever, including 600 missionaries assigned to 20 visitor centers around the world who spend their days chatting with prospective converts online. Bonnie Oscarson, president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Young Women program and a member of its Executive Missionary Council, says the approach is hardly new but has become more sophisticated. The operation started as a simple social media experiment at Provo’s Missionary Training Center a decade ago. Since then, it has grown into a global operation with missionaries speaking 30-plus languages.
Online:
Mormon Church site: <a target=”—blank” href=”https://www.mormon.org”>https://www.mormon.org</a>
IN STORES: SCIENTOLOGY NETWORK
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Church of Scientology is about to get its own television channel starting today. A Twitter handle, website and app for Scientology TV appeared yesterday posting updates to hype the network’s availability on DIRECTV, AppleTV, Roku, fireTV, Chromecast, iTunes and Google Play. A tweet Sunday from the ScientologyTV account says, “It’s time for us to tell our story.” Scientology has been the subject of a handful of high-profile projects investigating its alleged abuses of former members including Leah Remini’s A&E docu-series “Scientology and the Aftermath” and Alex Gibney’s Emmy-winning documentary, “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief.” The website scientology.tv says the Scientology Network will debut on at 8 p.m. eastern on Monday although it was not made clear what kind of programming the network will feature.