Some 80 years ago as a child I spend many a weekend and summer vacation in a nudist camp. According to the laws passed in 1974 hundreds if not thousands of people would face charges because of pictures taken. We children enjoyed the freedom of the camps as much as the adults, mainly our parents and their friends. I even remember one ski vaction in the Alps where due to the mild weather only socks and skiboots were worn apart from the skis. Nothing pornographic ever happened. We all grew up (minus those killed during the war and in "camps " of a different sort) to be healthy adults and good parents and grandparents. It is scandalous what happened to Jody Jenkins and his family. The mental damage done to children involved in this and similar cases is beyond imagination. Would not any sane person think that pictures taken at a family vacation would be equal to childporn? Would pornographers take their films to a corner drugstore for development? Lucky for me, my kids grew up before 1974 and were thus spared the Child Services care.

What article did you read?

When you are hired as a clerk in a photo lab, you have to abide by your state's law. In my state, that means I am bound by my employer to report any and all cases of nudity from anyone, minor or not. Especially if there is anything involving alcohol--even an empty beer bottle. Got a problem with it? Go talk to your congressman. Most of the time they are obligated by STATE LAW to do this and if they don't, they get fired!

People just don't realize that a photo tech is going to SEE your film when they develop it. I've developed rolls of film that have hardcore adult porn, and yes, even child porn. They see it All. The. Time. Many porn addicts that have been caught by dropping off their film to be developed have surprisingly innocent-looking pictures of naked kids--doesn't matter what they're doing as long as they are naked. Usually once they're busted, their computers and other secret stashes have the hardcore stuff.

It reminds me of the saying that my father would tell me when I got on the Internet in high school--"don't post anything that you wouldn't be afraid for anyone else, like your parents, to see." I think the author should have thought of this too. He shouldn't have left the film lying around OF HIS NAKED KIDS unless he was prepared to let anyone see it.

Oh, and yes, I was a child once too. And I was never allowed to cavort about naked. I was actually taught that such a thing was unacceptable. I actually had parents who made rules to keep myself safe from the people who try to prey on children when no one suspects--and that meant keeping my clothes on outside of my own room!

It's difficult to be a parent. Doesn't excuse any slacking off, though.

I can't say that I was ever allowed to skinny dip or go swimming in my underwear on camping trips when I was tot, but I pass no judgment on the parent for letting his children do so.

What shocks me is that this seemingly "responsible" father failed to pack an extra change of clothes for his son!

The first rule of camping is, pack an extra outfit incase you fall in the mud. That means you always keep and extra pair of pants, socks, shirt, and underwear! If this parent had followed this time honored rule of camping all his troubles would have been avoided because his son, rather than standing naked as he dried his underwear, would have put on his emergency pair, dried his wet pair for future use, and a just as adorable picture would have been taken for posterity.

Be Prepared! If you go out into the woods with your kids without planning for the event that they will a) want to go swimming and should thusly pack swim trunks or b) will in some way or another make one outfit unwearable, you are an unfit camper, even if you are a perfectly decent parent.

I don't quite understand the urge to take nude photos of your kid, but I don't judge that. I do judge people going out into the wilderness without making sure they are prepared to face what is out there.

But for the sake of a camper's checklist, this guy wouldn't have even had a story to write. Extra underwear for my mess prone son, check, a swim suit for my water enamored daughter, check, digital camera so I don't have to explain my artistic choices to the guy behind the counter at Eckerd’s drug store, check!

If you start off your story by showing how little you planned ahead for your camping trip, should I really feel sorry for you that your lack of planning resulted in an embarrassing fiasco involving social services?

Clearly nothing related to this story went on to hurt this man's life in any way. I was waiting for his wife to lose the job in France, or their being barred from entry into the country due to the scarlet letter P upon their shirts, but nope. Turns out the system actually worked, and no charges were filed and the investigation was dropped. As frustrating as this investigation was, maybe the next time this man goes camping he'll be sure to plan ahead.

It amazes me that the police and DFCS were not required to put the evidence before a judge before invading their lives. A simple warrant requirement would allow us to keep the mandatory reporting that has helped many kids in danger while protecting the innocent.

"I know alcohol is legal, but parents drinking or smoking in front of kids is bad parenting. Why the alcohol?"

Yup, you're witnessing the point of absurdity. Thank you for this observation: you have given voice to the billions of children who are have been scarred for eternity after being in the presence of an adult... drinking an alcoholic beverage! I, for one, still have nightmares from witnessing my Italian grandfather drinking a glass of vino with his pasta. Thanks to the brilliant observations and warnings of people like the above poster, future generations will be saved. Woe to us all!!