Sexting: A criminal combination

TIPPECANOE COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) - A camera phone can be a criminal combination for some teenagers.

Camera phones capture a quick picture, but those snapshots don't just freeze a moment in time. Some images can cause damage for a lifetime. Many teens use cell phones for "sexting."

Parents won't find that term in the dictionary, but Bill Stanczykiewicz, a child advocate for the Indiana Youth Institute, defines the word as "Kids using primarily the cameras on their cell phones to take photos of themselves or other people they know that are obscene and emailing them to their friends or posting them on the internet."

Most teens consider sexting risqué, but harmless. That's a misconception that can get them into legal trouble.

"You send racy pictures of yourself to your boyfriend on your cell phone during study hall thinking it's great fun. What happens when your boyfriend breaks up with you and he thinks it's a good idea to send the pictures on to his friends? Now he is disseminating child pornography. If that child is 15 or younger, that's child exploitation," said Tippecanoe County Deputy Prosecutor Laura Zeman.

The punishment for distributing sexting images varies between states. There have been no charges for sexting in Tippecanoe County, but parents and teens need to understand a juvenile record does not disappear when teens turn into adults.

"A lot of people don't understand a juvenile record does not go away or is not sealed when you turn 18," said Zeman.

Sexting is prompting school districts to tighten policies regarding cell phone use. The Lafayette School Corporation added a clause about sexting in its student handbook.

"Every school district in Indiana has now been encouraged to include notice to parents about what the school has to do should we run into a situation with a cell phone that may have sexually explicit photos or content on it. We're required by law to report it," said Lafayette School Corporation Superintendent Ed Eiler.

The consequences don't stop at legal troubles.

"They don't realize those are out there forever. College admission officers are starting to look at Facebook pages. Certainly employers looking for interns are starting to look into cyberspace to see what people are doing," said Stanczykiewicz.

Technology, like teens, seems difficult to control at times. But, parents shouldn't be discouraged. Have a conversation with your child when you give them a cell phone.

"Parents can be encouraged the kids do want to hear from you about guidelines about boundaries," explained Stanczykiewicz.

That means having a frank discussion with your teen about sexting, what it is, and what it can mean for their future. Studies suggest that a child's brain isn't fully developed until around age 25. Until then, there can be difficulties in linking actions with consequences.

"As parents, as adults, we really need to step in and talk about modesty. Talk about respect. And let kids know: not only is it inappropriate but it has life long consequences, because once on the web, always on the web," said Stanczykiewicz.

Prevent your teen from sexting by purchasing them a cell phone without a camera or disable the internet option so teens can't send pictures.