At least 100 high school students in Cañon City texted nude selfies to each other, according to authorities, part of a large sexting ring. George Welsh, the superintendent of the Cañon City school system, said that while children in the pictures were believed to be students at the high school, some were also eighth graders from the middle school.
This incident in Cañon City has left parents outraged and has their legal officials debating whether to file charges against some of the students who were involved. Some of the students who participated may face criminal child pornography charges.
Detective Rich Wistocki, Head of Naperville Internet Crimes Unit, commented, “The sexting problem is an epidemic. It is a proven medical fact that our kids’ brains are not developed enough to think about the ripple effect Sexting has on their future. We must start with training and empowering parents by giving them the tools they need to discuss these issues and with their teens and stay aware of their online activity.”
Incidents like these stress the importance of monitoring kids and their smartphone activity. While parents may be concerned about “spying” on their kids, it is more important to stay aware of the warning signs of bad online decision making before it’s too late.
“This unfortunate incident in Cañon City, Colorado is an eye opening case study that should urge parents to monitor their kids smartphone activity”, remarked Erika Miller Director of Online Safety at WebWatcher. “Parents need to remember at the end of the day, as much as they trust their kids, they are still children and will make mistakes. Protecting their reputation should be the number one priority over being concerned about violating their “privacy”.
For a link to this article in the NY Times, please click here
