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View Full Version : Another ‘Sexting’ Scandal Investigated At A Colorado School



Teh One Who Knocks
04-12-2016, 11:37 AM
By Kelly Werthmann - CBS 4 Denver


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LAKEWOOD, Colo. (CBS4) – Bear Creek K-8 in Lakewood is the latest Colorado school to launch a sexting investigation after administrators learned last week of inappropriate pictures of students circulating among other students.

“As soon as we heard a rumor that this might be happening we started interrogating students, trying to get information,” Diana Wilson, Chief Communications Officer for Jefferson County Public Schools, told CBS4’s Kelly Werthmann. “Once it became clear that there was some kind of incident we immediately brought in the Lakewood Police Department to do an investigation. We are doing an internal investigation concurrently.”

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The school’s principal, Victoria Kaye, sent a letter to parents over the weekend notifying them of the investigation which began when they learned of the alleged sexting on April 7.

“We take this behavior seriously,” the letter reads. “Ethical behavior, respect and safety are core values of our school. This type of behavior is a violation of our district Code of Conduct … and potentially a criminal act and will not be tolerated.”

The ongoing investigation has yet to determine how many students are involved, but school officials said it appears to include several eighth-graders.

“There’s going to be some consequences for some kids,” Wilson said.

Right now sexting is a felony in Colorado after a bill to make most cases a misdemeanor died in committee last week. District attorneys, like Stan Garnett of Boulder County who said he sees dozen of sexting cases every year, are pushing lawmakers to bring the bill back.

“It is very, very important that the law be able to differentiate between types of behavior and not treat everything the same,” Garnett told CBS4’s Shaun Boyd.

Bear Creek K-8 school officials will determine their disciplinary action once the investigation is completed.

“There’s been no charges as of yet. Everything is in the investigation mode,” Wilson said. “We’re just trying to find out what happened, who did what, what’s out there, what kind of effect this has on our kids. That’s really our biggest fear … that this affects a lot of kids.”

Jefferson County Public Schools is asking parents talk with their children about the dangers of sexting.

Pony
04-12-2016, 11:44 AM
It's a felony in CO? :doh:

DemonGeminiX
04-12-2016, 12:32 PM
I wonder how much their parents' phone bills are per month.

RBP
04-12-2016, 12:42 PM
It's a felony in CO? :doh:

Why shouldn't production and distribution of child porn be a felony?

Pony
04-12-2016, 02:04 PM
Why shouldn't production and distribution of child porn be a felony?

1 - I think ruining a 14 year olds life with a felony for texting a pic to his girlfriend, etc. is excessive.

2 -
Right now sexting is a felony in Colorado after a bill to make most cases a misdemeanor died in committee last week. District attorneys, like Stan Garnett of Boulder County who said he sees dozen of sexting cases every year, are pushing lawmakers to bring the bill back.

This does not specify age Reading that I assume that a 20YO sending a pic to her 20YO boyfriend could get arrested for "sexting".

I'm not saying kids should be kids, I'm saying that in certain cases the punishment is excessive.

RBP
04-12-2016, 02:19 PM
1 - I think ruining a 14 year olds life with a felony for texting a pic to his girlfriend, etc. is excessive.

2 - This does not specify age Reading that I assume that a 20YO sending a pic to her 20YO boyfriend could get arrested for "sexting".

I'm not saying kids should be kids, I'm saying that in certain cases the punishment is excessive.

But these cases almost never come up because of a private exchange. They come up because the photos go down stream (to other students, the internet, etc).

And when they do, the people who further distribute or possess them are felons, regardless of age. But the original producer and distributor is not?

I can't rationalize that logic.

Pony
04-12-2016, 02:50 PM
But these cases almost never come up because of a private exchange. They come up because the photos go down stream (to other students, the internet, etc).

And when they do, the people who further distribute or possess them are felons, regardless of age. But the original producer and distributor is not?

I can't rationalize that logic.

I can.
Just saying that they shouldn't paint everyone with the same broad brush. The 16 year old who sends a boob pic to her 16 year old boyfriend should not be punished the same as the 50 year old guy who is buying/selling/trading thousands of pre-teen images and "free candy" written on the side of his van.

RBP
04-12-2016, 03:05 PM
I can.
Just saying that they shouldn't paint everyone with the same broad brush. The 16 year old who sends a boob pic to her 16 year old boyfriend should not be punished the same as the 50 year old guy who is buying/selling/trading thousands of pre-teen images and "free candy" written on the side of his van.

Fair enough, that's what indictments and counts and court discretion are for. But to say that it is not a felony child porn offense when the 16 year old produces and distributes it, but it IS child porn when that 50 year old possesses the exact same image, doesn't work for me.

Pony
04-12-2016, 04:09 PM
I was simply making the point that it should be a case by case basis.