While the idea of being accused of any crime or facing jail time is enough to turn most people’s stomach, there are seemingly innocent acts that are criminalized and can result in charges and even jail time. And then there are some acts that are downright embarrassing—and still illegal. Being arrested for one of these might not only end up with you fined or charged, but also with people you know—and plenty of people you don’t—laughing at you.
To avoid significant social embarrassment (and legal bills), here are 5 embarrassing crimes that can land you in prison:
Getting hot under the collar when driving
If you’re someone who’s prone to getting a bit heated when you drive, beware. While the person who cut you off would only be given a traffic violation for aggressive driving, road rage is a criminal offense equal to assault with a deadly weapon.
So next time you get the urge to start following someone who didn’t use their blinker, or rolling down your window to give a texting driver a piece of your mind, remember that you are just one 911 call away from ending up on the evening news.
Relieving yourself in a public place
When you gotta go, you gotta go, right? Well, not so fast. Relieving yourself in public—and this isn’t just for the men—is an offense in all 50 states. What’s more embarrassing than just really needing to go to the bathroom and you end up under the beam of a police flashlight, get charged, and end up on the sex offender list, all because you couldn’t wait for the next pit stop?
Getting sexy pictures from someone
Social media and the widespread use of smartphones has completely changed the way people date and interact. For many people, dating now includes the sharing of sexy images or nude photos. This has become especially common among teenagers. The danger here is if you receive a photo of an underaged person nude—even if you didn’t ask for it—you could be charged with child pornography. This can even happen if the person receiving the photo is also a teenager. So if a friend has a hot picture of the new girl he’s dating and wants to send it to you, put a hard stop to it before it happens or you might end up looking for a sex crime attorney for hire soon after.
Flashing during Mardi Gras
Who hasn’t heard of the debaucherous nights of Mardi Gras on Bourbon Street where every lifted shirt results in beads? The big downside here is that a “fun” bit of flashing can have you charged with indecent exposure and you could wind up on the sex offender registry list. Not so sexy now, is it?
Downloading a movie you’ve been dying to see
Picture this: you’re waiting months to see a new movie and then find out that one of your friends downloaded it for free and are watching it right now. You hop on the computer and look to get your own download going—but wait, is this a crime?
If you download or share movies without paying for them, it’s actually considered a crime and is called pirating. While many people consider it to be a harmless activity, there has been multiple people charged and convicted of the crime of pirating.
The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.
