High Schoolers Accused Of Sending Naked Pictures To Each Other

[Locutus]

GREENSBURG, Pa. -- Three teenage girls who allegedly sent nude or semi-nude cell phone pictures of themselves, and three male classmates in a Greensburg Salem High School who received them, are charged with child pornography.

Police said the girls are 14 or 15, and the boys charged with receiving the photos are 16 or 17. None are being identified because most criminal cases in Pennsylvania juvenile courts are not public.

"It was a self portrait taken of a juvenile female taking pictures of her body, nude," said Capt. George Seranko of the Greensburg Police Department.

Police said school officials learned of the photos in October. That's when a student was seen using a cell phone during school hours, which violates school rules. The phone was seized, and the photos were found on it, police said. When police investigated, other phones with more pictures were seized.

"Taking nude pictures of yourself, nothing good can come out of it," said Seranko.

The Greensburg Salem School District issued a statement on Tuesday saying there was "no evidence of inappropriate activity on school grounds or during the school day other than the violation of the (school's) electronic devices policy."

The school district said it only became aware of the arrest of the students on Monday and will continue to work cooperatively with police, as well as continue to enforce its electronic devices policy and educate students on the dangers of inappropriate use of electronic devices.

Police said the girls are being charged with manufacturing, disseminating or possessing child pornography while the boys face charges of possession.
"It's very dangerous," said Seranko. "Once it's on a cell phone, that cell phone can be put on the Internet where everyone in the world can get access to that juvenile picture. You don't realize what you are doing until it's already done."

http://www.wpxi.com/news/18469160/detail.html

[Locutus]

Here we have a group of kids ranging in age from 14-17 facing child pornography charges for sending naked pictures of themselves and others for receiving the images.

Although their behavior may have been unacceptable and immature, I don't think it rises to the level of child pornography since no mention is made of any sort of sexual activity occurring in any of the pictures.

Does a simple naked picture of a child constitute child pornography?  My opinion is no.  I think the authorities are just looking to make an example of these kids.

What say you?

[Henry Hawk]

if that is the worst thing that a 14 year old was accused of doing...then I would be tickled to death...I agree with you locutus..that is completly harmless...that should be the parents problem to deal with.

[Dexter Morgan]

Wow.. I'd say they're goin' overboard by bringing charges like that. Whatever happened to detentions, and suspensions? Man, they're goin' straight for the jugular.  Granted... it wasn't appropriate but.... these are just kids goofin' off, and they made a mistake. Yeah.... let's send them to prison, or ruin their chances at a good college, or decent job for their entire life. 

On a side note..... that naked picture sending on phones is nothing new. People I work with do that stupid crap. 

[Locutus]

On a side note..... that naked picture sending on phones is nothing new. People I work with do that stupid crap. 

Hopefully they're good looking people.   

[Monroe]

When did it become aceptable for a girl to be a slut?  The sexual revolution is changing society, producing generations of bastards who make bad citizens.  People are a country's defining resource.  We are going downhill.

I agree these kids were just horsing around; stupid things kids do.  Justice would let them slip the hook.  When I was a teenager I could have use one of these girls, about twice a day.  Now, not so much.

[Palehorse]

I just wonder what gives the school the right to review what was on their cell phones? Is there no expectation of privacy? Shouldn't they have had to contact the parents and obtain their permission to do that?

To me, the school's action border on gestapo like and they should be held accountable for such. Not that I would endorse pubescent children sending naked pictures of themselves to each other, but come on; there are a LOT worse things they could have been doing too. At least they weren't humping like two dogs in heat. (Like I was caught doing several times whilst within their age bracket.)   

School officials gone wild! 

[followsthewolf]

When did it become aceptable for a girl to be a slut?  The sexual revolution is changing society, producing generations of bastards who make bad citizens.  People are a country's defining resource.  We are going downhill.

I agree these kids were just horsing around; stupid things kids do.  Justice would let them slip the hook.  When I was a teenager I could have use one of these girls, about twice a day.  Now, not so much.

We are falling into sin!! Wheeeeeeeeeee!!!!

Go back and read what Socrates said about the youth in his day. Same old, same old.

Years from now, the incident will only be a smile-producing memory at their high school reunions.

Except for the self-serving religion moralists who will stll be saying we are going downhill.

[Dexter Morgan]

Hopefully they're good looking people.   

[Dexter Morgan]

I just wonder what gives the school the right to review what was on their cell phones? Is there no expectation of privacy? Shouldn't they have had to contact the parents and obtain their permission to do that?

To me, the school's action border on gestapo like and they should be held accountable for such. Not that I would endorse pubescent children sending naked pictures of themselves to each other, but come on; there are a LOT worse things they could have been doing too. At least they weren't humping like two dogs in heat. (Like I was caught doing several times whilst within their age bracket.)   

School officials gone wild! 

I agree.... the school officials shouldn't have accessed those students phones. I guess kids don't have any rights to privacy. I went to school with a guy that had parents that were completely insane. Everytime he and his siblings came home from somewhere, their parents would smell their breath and hair, and ask them if they had been drinking, or smoking pot!!!! They even randomly drug tested them. They were crazy people. The father was completely paranoid. He'd sleep in a tree in their backyard with a gun. The guy that I referred to earlier ended up being pscyzephrenic, and tried to kill himself numerous times. Those kids had no privacy whatsoever. 

[Ghost of Jaco]

We are falling into sin!! Wheeeeeeeeeee!!!!

Go back and read what Socrates said about the youth in his day. Same old, same old.

Years from now, the incident will only be a smile-producing memory at their high school reunions.

Except for the self-serving religion moralists who will stll be saying we are going downhill.

Umm...he said nothing about religion or morality, ftw.
I would consider increases in STD infections, the drain of unwed mothers on our welfare system, and the depressing outcomes for many children of single-parent homes to be plenty of evidence that the sexual revolution has had a negative effect on our society.

You may not agree, but I wouldn't call you a self-serving Satanic pedophile for doing so.

[Palehorse]

I'm surprised that more of you aren't concerned over the fact that (IMHO) the rights of these children (and by proxy their parents) were trampled upon by these school officials when they took it upon themselves to review the content of the personal cell phones of these children.

Violation of a school policy surrounding cell phone use does not provide license to invade the privacy of a student! Thus, if not for their trampling of these rights this incident would then be (rightfully) left to the parents to take care of.

This whole thing should to tossed out of court IMO. . .

[Palehorse]

. . .
Years from now, the incident will only be a smile-producing memory at their high school reunions.
. . .

Except for the fact that if these gestapo like school officials get their way, these "children" may very well be required to register as sex-offenders!

[Henry Hawk]

I agree with you PH..............If it was my child, after I disiplined her for being stupid, I would probably be in contact with my lawyer.....it DOES seem like the school is stepping outside of it's responsibilities, especially when no one's safety is at stake.

[Mr442]

Where is our, "THIS THREAD IS WORTHLESS WITHOUT PICTURES" smiley?  It sure would be handy about now.