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[entremet]

CAÑON CITY, Colo. — At least 100 students at a high school in Cañon City traded naked pictures of themselves, the authorities said Friday, part of a large sexting ring.

The revelation has left parents outraged, administrators searching for missed clues, and the police and the district attorney’s office debating whether to file child pornography charges — including felony charges — against some of the participants.

George Welsh, the superintendent of the Cañon City school system, said students at Cañon City High School had been circulating 300 to 400 nude photographs, including images of “certainly over 100 different kids,” on their cellphones. “This is a lot of kids involved,” he said, adding that the children in the pictures were believed to be students at the high school as well as eighth graders from the middle school.

Members of the high school football team, the Cañon City Tigers, were at the center of the sexting ring, Mr. Welsh said. On Thursday night, separate community meetings were held for parents of football players and parents of other students to address the scandal, which has shocked this quiet, semirural community of 16,000. The team was forced to forfeit its final game of the season.

Because it is a felony to possess or distribute child pornography, the charges could be serious. But because most of the people at fault are themselves minors and, in some cases, took pictures of themselves and sent them to others, law enforcement officials are at a loss as to how to proceed. “Consenting adults can do this to their hearts’ content,” said Thom LeDoux, the district attorney, but “if the subject is under the age of 18, that’s a problem.”

He added that he was not interested in arresting hundreds of children and would “use discretion” if he decided to file charges.

Mr. Welsh said a significant percentage of the student body at Cañon City High School had participated, with boys and girls involved in seemingly equal numbers. The photo-sharing, some of which took place in school, was done largely on cellphone applications called “vault apps” that look innocent enough — some look like calculators — but are really secret troves of photographs accessible after entering a password.

While this may be a cause of kids behaving badly, legally this is considered child pornography in many jurisdictions, so it brings up perplexing legal questions.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/07/u...n-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0

 

[The Llama]

Teens are gonna sext and I don't see how we're ever going to stop it. I just hope that we don't start prosecuting them all...

 

[entremet]

Teens are gonna sext and I don't see how we're ever going to stop it. I just hope that we don't start prosecuting them all...

It's not the sexting, but the distribution of the photos.

 

[Dali]

Who are the parents outraged at? Their children? Themselves? Certainly not the school.

 

[Tenebrous]

Teenagers curious about the opposite/same sex? Shocking stuff.

Teens are gonna sext and I don't see how we're ever going to stop it. I just hope that we don't start prosecuting them all...

Pretty much. If there's some creepy old men and women trying to work their way into the pic sharing ring, then by all means throw the book at them. But I'll never be for prosecuting kids in cases like this.

Shit, I sent so much stuff out as a teenager that I'd probably get life in jail.

 

[Konka]

It's not the sexting, but the distribution of the photos.

Sexting is by definition distributing the photos.

 

[Miles Quaritch]

Who are the parents outraged at? Their children? Themselves? Certainly not the school.

If it happened on school property, it's the fault of the school.

 

[Zeyphersan]

Who are the parents outraged at? Their children? Themselves? Certainly not the school.

Lmao you think any of them are mad at themselves?

 

[Bold One]

I never understood this obsession with taking nude photos of yourself

 

[entremet]

Sexting is by definition distributing the photos.

Exchanging. Small difference.

 

[NoRéN]

Wow, never seen a post disappear like that.

 

[K.Sabot]

Would be hilarious if they managed to charge minors for child pornography charges.

 

[Azuran]

If it happened on school property, it's the fault of the school.

It's not like the principal asked them to do it.

 

[Konka]

Exchanging. Small difference.

It's semantics.

 

[Megalosaro]

I never understood this obsession with taking nude photos of yourself

People wanna fuck.

 

[The Faceless Master]

Who are the parents outraged at? Their children? Themselves? Certainly not the school.

the other parents.

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

It's not the sexting, but the distribution of the photos.

Sexting is literally the distribution of photos.

I don't see why there are "legal questions"; the officer quoted in the OP is right, convicting teenagers for teenage porn is stupid, no matter what he law says.

 

[jrush64]

There's an SVU episode of something like this.

 

[entremet]

It's semantics.

Legally, the issue here is these text went beyond simple exchanges. A sexting ring distributing these photos en masse developed.

That's why there's a legal quandary here.

Sexting is literally the distribution of photos.

I don't see why there are "legal questions"; the officer quoted in the OP is right, convicting teenagers for teenage porn is stupid, no matter what he law says.

He did. And I agree with him. But the fact they they're considering legal actions, means that there are legal ramifications beyond one to one sexting.

 

[harSon]

I saw that "BRB using imagination cause no pics" gif....

 

[sikkinixx]

Not letting kids bring phones to school period wouldn't stop things (obviously) but it would at least relieve the schools of any potential grief.

Plus, kids might actually *gasp* do something useful at school.

 

[K.Sabot]

The best you can do is host a school seminar on personal privacy in the technology age and hope they make better decisions in the future.

 

[Darth Karja]

Kids can look at each other naked, and have sex, but if they have a picture, then its serious.

Would be hilarious if they managed to charge minors for child pornography charges.

It's been done.

 

[Konka]

Legally, the issue here is these text went beyond simple exchanges. A sexting ring distributing these photos en masse developed.

That's why there's a legal quandary here.

That is entirely false. The law doesn't differentiate, you are. If I'm 16 and take a naked picture of myself technically I can be arrested for production of child porn. If I send that picture to my boyfriend/girlfriend I can be arrested for producing and distributing child porn. Prosecutors have discretion.

 

[Conor_Fool]

Wow, never seen a post disappear like that.

Haha same.. Knew it wouldn't go over well (to say the least) but didn't expect it to vanish.

 

[entremet]

That is entirely false. The law doesn't differentiate, you are. If I'm 16 and take a naked picture of myself technically I can be arrested for production of child porn. If I send that picture to my boyfriend/girlfriend I can be arrested for producing and distributing child porn.

Have you read the article? I didn't say it. That's in the article.

George Welsh, the superintendent of the Cañon City school system, said students at Cañon City High School had been circulating 300 to 400 nude photographs, including images of “certainly over 100 different kids,” on their cellphones. “This is a lot of kids involved,” he said, adding that the children in the pictures were believed to be students at the high school as well as eighth graders from the middle school.

Members of the high school football team, the Cañon City Tigers, were at the center of the sexting ring, Mr. Welsh said. On Thursday night, separate community meetings were held for parents of football players and parents of other students to address the scandal, which has shocked this quiet, semirural community of 16,000. The team was forced to forfeit its final game of the season.

 

[Konka]

Have you read the article? I didn't say it. That's in the article.

Just because the prosecutor has the ability to show discretion doesn't mean that they can't legally charge them all.

 

[entremet]

Just because the prosecutor as the ability to show discretion doesn't mean that they can't legally charge them all.

I agree. I don't disagree with this.

 

[Bold One]

People wanna fuck.

before smartphones, people fucked, but they didn't carry nude photographs of themselves and others around

 

[Cloyster]

...

-note to self-

screenplay

 

[FUBAR McDangles]

Who are the parents outraged at? Their children? Themselves? Certainly not the school.

I can practically guarantee that every parent is mad at the school and every child involved - aside from their own.

Working in childcare has taught me that 95% of parents hate taking responsibility for what their children do. No matter what age they are.

 

[hodayathink]

If I had to take a guess, the reason charges are being brought up is because this isn't so much a case of "kids being kids" and sexting each other. It's that a ring of kids were collecting and trading the pictures they were getting with each other. And the ring of kids probably centered around the football team (which is why they had to forfeit the game).

Edit: Only skimmed the article before posting, it turns out that's exactly what it was. In that case, I don't see why it's a horrible idea to charge the kids that were sharing the pictures they were getting sent with people the pictures were never intended for.

 

[Robdraggoo]

This reminds me thst story id the teenage girl that got child porn charges for possessing naked pictures of herself.

Dont charge these kids, dont ruin there futures over this.

 

[……forgetit]

Sexting ring? Seems more like the natural evolution of teens boning each other I'm the smartphone age.

 

[Konka]

before smartphones, people fucked, but they didn't carry nude photographs of themselves and others around

It's kinda ridiculous though that two 16 years olds can legally have sex all they want but as soon as they take a picture of the act they are committing a felony.

 

[legacyzero]

So... Nobody is putting the blame on the school, are they?? Somebody help me out on why it's the schools fault?

Also: Teenagers.

Also Also: I have a daughter, and this freaks me the fuck out LOL

It's semantics.

No it isn't. They are sending those photos for the other person's eyes only. Not for some creeper person to make them public, or share with any other group of people.

 

[Cloyster]

before smartphones, people fucked, but they didn't carry nude photographs of themselves and others around

If they had a small device that not only had the ability to carry thousands of nude photos but also allowed them access to an unlimited amount of information, communication with everyone they know, music, and games and could take pictures and video instantly, they sure as hell would.

And I mean. Come on. People have been taking nude photos since the beginning of humanity.

 

[The Llama]

FWIW I was reading an article about a similar situation near me in the Philly suburbs, except it sounds like they're actually going to prosecute a few people.

http://mobile.philly.com/beta?wss=/philly/news&id=339876051

Three Tredyffrin/Easttown district students face charges of distributing or offering to share sexually explicit images - including photos of their middle-school classmates - after an investigation that police say could expand to implicate more children.

The students, ages 11 to 15, were not identified. They face juvenile charges as well as disciplinary action by the district, routinely ranked among the state's best public school systems.

And a little update on that here:

http://mobile.philly.com/beta?wss=/philly/news&id=341848981

 

[Tesseract]

Sexting ring? Seems more like the natural evolution of teens boning each other I'm the smartphone age.

pretty much

 

[shira]

It's kinda ridiculous though that two 16 years olds can legally have sex all they want but as soon as they take a picture of the act they are committing a felony.

The laws are out of date and haven't been updated to distinguish between pedophiles and horny teens.

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

No it isn't. They are sending those photos for the other person's eyes only. Not for some creeper person to make them public, or share with any other group of people.

Both acts are illegal under the law when a minor is involved. Assuming these pictures were taken voluntarily, criminal charges seem ludicrous when you're talking about half the school (at least, the half that got caught).

And I should take this opportunity to repeat this iron clad rule: any person you send nudes to will share them.

 

[Konka]

So... Nobody is putting the blame on the school, are they?? Somebody help me out on why it's the schools fault?

Also: Teenagers.


No it isn't. They are sending those photos for the other person's eyes only. Not for some creeper person to make them public, or share with any other group of people.

Yes it is. Whether you take a nude pic for your BF or for some creeper to make public it's producing child porn in the eyes of the law. Thankfully prosecutors can show discretion in the application of the law. But minors have been charged with production of child porn for taking pictures of themselves.

The laws are out of date and haven't been updated to distinguish between pedophiles and horny teens.

Right. And I'm talking about the state of our actual laws.

 

[TheOnlyOneHeEverFeared]

“This is a lot of kids involved,” he said, adding that the children in the pictures were believed to be students at the high school as well as eighth graders from the middle school.

That's fucking disgusting. Needs to be sorted out.

 

[Common Knowledge]

Was this all done by students taking nude photos of themselves and then distributing them to the "ring", or was some of it done without their consent? (i.e. a guy distributing a nude photo of his girlfriend into the photo ring when she only intended it for him).

I can see the latter causing some serious issues, and possible legal consequences.

 

[entremet]

misread nvm

 

[legacyzero]

Both acts are illegal under the law when a minor is involved. Assuming these pictures were taken voluntarily, criminal charges seem ludicrous when you're talking about half the school (at least, the half that got caught).

And I should take this opportunity to repeat this iron clad rule: any person you send nudes to will share them.

Yeah, you have a point there. And also, agreed on the sending nudes. That's a safe assumption to keep yourself safe

Yes it is. Whether you take a nude pic for your BF or for some creeper to make public it's producing child porn in the eyes of the law. Thankfully prosecutors can show discretion in the application of the law. But minors have been charged with production of child porn for taking pictures of themselves.

Oh, I misunderstood. Yeah, legally, you make a point.

 

[Cloyster]

That's fucking disgusting. Needs to be sorted out.

Very difficult.

If a 12 year old willingly put their own nude photos into a huge sexting ring of hundreds and hundreds of minor students, who do you punish?

 

[NomarTyme]

before smartphones, people fucked, but they didn't carry nude photographs of themselves and others around

Welcome to the new world of smartphones. Easy access and selfies.

 

[Stet]

Very difficult.

If a 12 year old willingly put their own nude photos into a huge sexting ring of hundreds and hundreds of minor students, who do you punish?

The people who may have coerced them into doing it. If a 30-year-old does it it's grooming, but if an 18-year-old does it to a 13-year-old it's not? I don't buy it. Seniors come from a place of power in schools like that, especially sports team seniors in sports-focused schools.

 

[GK86]

before smartphones, people fucked, but they didn't carry nude photographs of themselves and others around

Cultural norms do change, I hope you know.