School, Police Address Issue of ‘Sexting,‘ Online Dangers

COLUMBUS, Ohio—If you’re the parent of a teenager, you know their cell phone is not far away.  These days, many use the device for texting, but the practice of sexting, or sending nude pictures via text message, is growing.

Friday, a local school took steps to keep children safe from many dangers that lurk on the Internet.

Many students at the Wellington School in Upper Arlington spent this Halloween eve in costume. Some costumes were scary, some were funny, but there was nothing funny about the discussion they had—online safety.

“It’s kind of concerning,“ said eighth-grade student Tova Seltzer. “But I think that as long as you’re aware of it, it’s not so bad because you just know not to put stuff.“

Upper Arlington Police Officer Scott Metcalf said many children don’t practice enough caution when it comes to Web sites like Facebook and Twitter. 

“Totally amazing to me what they will put online and not think twice about,“ he said. “(Students) gave me all the safety rules pretty much to a ‘T’ on their own when I ask. They know them, but they ignore them and it’s not because they choose to ignore them and say ‘Oh, I don’t like that rule.‘ It’s just because they don’t think its going to happen to them.“

The discussion convinced some students to make changes. “I’m probably going to put less personal information on Facebook,“ said eighth grader Emily Swartz.

Also discussed were the legal consequences of cyber-bullying and sexting; or sending explicit pictures over cell phone. 

“If they’re convicted of pandering obscenity involving a minor, it would be a tier II sexual offender who is reportable every 180 days for 25 years,“ said Metcalf. “I saw a lot of jaws drop them, like ‘Woah.‘“

Officers said they hope discussions like these will mean fewer victims in the future.

For additional information, stay with nbc4i.com and NBC 4 and refresh nbc4i.com—Where Accuracy Matters.
To submit a story idea or news tip, e-mail us at .
NBC 4 POLITICS: Headlines, Interactives & Video
MORE: NBC 4 Local News | Local Crime News
NBC 4 SPORTS: Sports News, Video