Apr 30, 2008 11:01 pm US/Central
Posting Nude Photos Leads To Trouble For 2 Teens
HUDSON, Wis. (WCCO) ―
Two teenagers are in trouble at school and with police, accused of taping up naked pictures of a female classmate in the boy's locker room at Hudson High School in Wisconsin.
One of the students spoke with WCCO-TV. He said he and a friend have been expelled from Hudson High School and just want to put this behind them.
"I didn't really think of anything at the time. You know, it's kinda like 'Yeah, sure, I'll do it' because we didn't think about the consequences," he said.
The incident started when a Hudson High School student used her cell phone to send nude pictures of herself to two boyfriends. The pictures soon were sent around the school. But when a feud developed between the girl and two other boys, the boys made a collages of the pictures and hung them in the boys locker room.
A teacher found the pictures and called police. The boys have been charged with misdemeanor defamation and face up to nine months in jail and up to a $10,000 fine.
"Going through all this court stuff and what not, I don't need this neither does (name of other boy)," said one of the boys accused of posting the pictures. "We both feel that it was wrong, we're sorry but we're done and we're keeping a clean plate now."
While the consequences in this case may be extreme, a family therapist said children commonly use cell phones to capture and share intimate images.
"If you got on any 16, 17 year olds cell phone you might find pictures that as a parent you might say whoa, that's inappropriate," said family therapist Paul Lehrer.
Lehrer said children these days are growing up documenting their lives through technology like computers and cell phones.
As they begin thinking of and experimenting with sex they begin documenting that as well, said Lehrer. He said what apparently children often don't understand is how quickly consequences can escalate.
(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
