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MaryJo Miller who is challenging the right of county prosecutors to file criminal charges against her daughter Marissa, now 16, in a "sexting" case is seen outside the U.S. Courthouse in Philadelphia, Friday, Jan. 15, 2010. Three federal judges in Philadelphia have heard the first criminal case of "sexting" to reach a U.S. appeals court, a dispute over cell-phone images of three teenage girls.

PHILADELPHIA — The first criminal case involving "sexting" to reach a U.S. appeals court is unfolding in Philadelphia, in a fight over cell-phone images of three girls.

The three judges who heard arguments Friday must decide if a county prosecutor can charge the girls with child pornography.

The American Civil Liberties Union calls the photos harmless — and argues the girls are victims, if anything.

Defense lawyers say the girls did not distribute the photos, which show two 12-year-olds in training bras and a topless 16-year-old.

Prosecutors in Wyoming County say the images are dangerous because predators could get them.

They ordered 16 public-school students to attend a "re-education" class or face prosecution. Three families are challenging the order.

ERIE — Officials at Presque Isle State Park plan to launch a Web site that will let people view plant and animal specimens stored in a natural history museum in the basement of the park's Tom Ridge Environmental Center.The Web site was to be demonstrated at the park on Friday. Before the Web site, the 4,000 specimens could be viewed by appointment only.Ed Masteller, the museum's volunteer curator, says the collection includes species from Presque Isle and the rest of Pennsylvania.Partnership Erie, an outreach of Penn State-Behrend, developed the Web site which is sponsored by Pennsylvania Sea Grant.The Web site is at http://dynamicdunes.bd.psu.edu.

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Witold J. Walczak, legal director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania and MaryJo Miller, who is challenging the right of county prosecutors to file criminal charges against her daughter Marissa, now 16, in a "sexting" case speak to members of the media outside the U.S. Courthouse in Philadelphia, Friday, Jan. 15, 2010. Three federal judges in Philadelphia have heard the first criminal case of "sexting" to reach a U.S. appeals court, a dispute over cell-phone images of three teenage girls. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

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