“When Your Privates Go Public” – A THIN LINE

MTV spotlights sexting, explaining what it is and sharing true life stories of how it ruined some teen’s lives.  It is true that many teens simply don’t understand that sexting is considered child pornography, and many parents don’t realize this practice even exists. However, there are serious repercussions. A Thin Line highlights “Sexting in America” in parts I, II & III. This series is easy to watch for parents and teens.  Richard Guerry with the Institute for Responsible Online and Cell phone Communication talks about how the proactive photos are often stolen and sold on a digital black market to drive underground websites.  The moral is, if you don’t want the photo haunting you later in life, then don’t take the picture.  MTV says 1 in 5 sexting messages sent are forwarded on to others. 

This week the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office is moving forward with charges against four 15-year-olds at a high school for posting naked pictures of female classmates on the Internet. The teens are cited for possession of harmful matter depicting a person under 18 and sexual exploitation of a minor and will have to face a juvenile court judge.