Prince George young girls and boys have been exchanging sexually explicit photos of themselves.
It is called "sexting" and it is not only potentially falling into the wrong hands, it is also potentially child pornography.
"[We] have determined that Prince George girls as young as 13 years old are taking nude or nearly nude photos of themselves and sending them via e-mail, SMS texting or 'instant messenger' texting to male friends in their peer group," said local police spokesman Cpl. Craig Douglass. "Some photos may even show a sexual act. Quite often, these photos are forwarded by the boy to a group of others. In some cases the females trust the males to keep the photo to themselves, only to find out later that the trust was broken.
Other times, the female fully expects the male to add the photo to a 'group' for viewing by many others. In these cases, the females are a part of the problem too. This has become quite common in Prince George, as it is in other areas of Canada."
Once the girl (the photos are primarily of females sent to males) hits send, the picture or video can never be concretely recovered.
The image may be - often are-- distributed beyond the intended recipient and once it is on the Internet or circulated to unknown people, the picture could be used for years to come by viewers of child pornography.
Douglass's additional concern was that the images could be a factor in the girls' future endeavours if they surface to potential employers, social connections, education institutions, etc.
"The Prince George RCMP are currently working with the Prince George School District to educate teenagers about the dangers associated to this trend. What is truly astonishing is just how common this is amongst youth," he said.
The list of sexting issues doesn't end there.
In a legal sense, police and Crown must assess each case, because sending explicit photos in any manner, if the subject is a minor, is an act of distributing child pornography even if the sender and the subject are one and the same.
Anyone who receives that image, even if unwanted, is now in possession of child pornography.
The one whose name is on the phone or e-mail payment contract is the first one police will question, even if the act was done by another, like a son or daughter.
The Prince George RCMP are asking parents to speak with their children about sexting.
"The information age is creating a different environment for youth to grow up in," Douglass said.
"Advise them of the dangers of taking part and possibly affecting their future education, career and mental health. These acts have been linked to suicides."
Tips for parents on 'sexting'
Check Instant Messaging contact lists to see who your child is chatting with.
Ensure that your child knows how to block unwanted contacts.
Teach children how to be responsible with webcams. Keep webcams unplugged when not in use.
Create an environment where your child feels safe and they can talk about secrets.
Look for changes in behaviour and ask questions.
For age-specific tips please visit: www.cybertip.ca/app/en/age_spec
For additional information, go to www.cybertip.ca,
www.protectchildren.ca and www.safeonlineoutreach.com.
