Question about US law from Carrie (2013)

In the beginning of the movie, Carrie gets filmed in the shower while the girls bully her. The film is even put on Youtube and the girl who filmed it got caught. Later, the same girl is about to ruin Carrie's big prom moment and her boyfriend warns her that they are about to commit a federal offense.

My question is: Isn't assault a "regular" offense and filming an underage, naked girl in a shower and then publish the film a federal offense? And what makes pouring blood on someone a harsher crime than instigating a mob to abuse the same person and filming it?

I mean neither of them is good, but since the perp got caught the first time and had a record, it only seems logical to me that she would be put in jail awaiting trial for abuse and filming of underaged girls in the shower, or at least under police surveillance, not roaming free to kill pigs and pour the blood over other girls.

In the beginning of the movie, Carrie gets filmed in the shower while the girls bully her. The film is even put on Youtube and the girl who filmed it got caught. Later, the same girl is about to ruin Carrie's big prom moment and her boyfriend warns her that they are about to commit a federal offense.

My question is: Isn't assault a "regular" offense and filming an underage, naked girl in a shower and then publish the film a federal offense? And what makes pouring blood on someone a harsher crime than instigating a mob to abuse the same person and filming it?

I mean neither of them is good, but since the perp got caught the first time and had a record, it only seems logical to me that she would be put in jail awaiting trial for abuse and filming of underaged girls in the shower, or at least under police surveillance, not roaming free to kill pigs and pour the blood over other girls.

She has a towel around her the entire time she is being filmed, she wasn't actually filmed naked. Carrie might have had some course of action should she had anyone to intervene on her behalf, but it wasn't a crime in the way trespassing, destruction of property and possible cruelty to animals (depending on where you live) is. In the former, the best Carrie would have is a civil lawsuit.

She has a towel around her the entire time she is being filmed, she wasn't actually filmed naked. Carrie might have had some course of action should she had anyone to intervene on her behalf, but it wasn't a crime in the way trespassing, destruction of property and possible cruelty to animals (depending on where you live) is. In the former, the best Carrie would have is a civil lawsuit.

If a crime was even committed in the first instance not everyone is held in jail to await trial. In the second instance, why a federal law would apply I don't know and think the State would be the authority that prosecutes anyway.

If a crime was even committed in the first instance not everyone is held in jail to await trial. In the second instance, why a federal law would apply I don't know and think the State would be the authority that prosecutes anyway.

This film is turd!

This film is turd!

I know that is how it was portrayed, for legal reasons (since the actress was 15 years old at the time), but I doubt the law would see the towel as proper defense in this case. A lot of people have been prosecuted as sex criminals for far less.
Carrie wouldn't need to take legal action as it happened on the school grounds and a teacher (and later the head master) intervened. The school has the authority to file claims for everything that happens on school property, if my understanding of the federal law is correct.

I know that is how it was portrayed, for legal reasons (since the actress was 15 years old at the time), but I doubt the law would see the towel as proper defense in this case. A lot of people have been prosecuted as sex criminals for far less.
Carrie wouldn't need to take legal action as it happened on the school grounds and a teacher (and later the head master) intervened. The school has the authority to file claims for everything that happens on school property, if my understanding of the federal law is correct.

Not even in real life (much less a movie where you need to be suspending disbelief in the first place) are they going to prosecute a bunch of girls for throwing tampons at a girl and filming it. A towel is more coverage than a swimsuit. Even if they did go after the girls it would be for bullying, (again which would be a civil suit) not anything sexual.

Not even in real life (much less a movie where you need to be suspending disbelief in the first place) are they going to prosecute a bunch of girls for throwing tampons at a girl and filming it. A towel is more coverage than a swimsuit. Even if they did go after the girls it would be for bullying, (again which would be a civil suit) not anything sexual.