March 19, 2024

Sexting can be considered a felony, officers warn

Nude images of minors is a crime

It’s time-consuming to try to hunt down where illicit photos or video images originate, Newton Schools Resource Officer Brian Foster said. It’s also illegal to possess, send or post nude images of minors.

More importantly, according to Foster, sending or posting photographs or video of students is wrong, and causes a great number of problems on a school campus or in a community. That’s why Foster and Iowa State Patrol Trooper Doug Cutts are always enhancing their efforts to let students know about the dangers of taking and transmitting nude images of students.

It is a felony in Iowa to possess, send or post nude images or depictions of minors.

“Some people think it’s kind of funny — until it happens,” Foster said. “Then, we see how one photo or video starts with one student, and then it’s on to a whole class or group of kids, then onto the Internet on a larger scale, and it’s often very difficult to track down where the image came from initially.”

Newton Police Chief Rob Burdess said many of these types of crimes go unreported, and in many cases, a report is about an image that has since been hidden or erased in a way that isn’t easily accessible to police.

Foster said while law enforcement has the authority to access cell phone records and website and app logs from providers and manufacturers, the main focus is to educate students in a way that discourages the creation of nude images in the first place.

“We point out that one split-second decision to take and send a photo could be something a person has to explain forever,” Foster said. “Once an image is recorded on a device, it might be impossible to completely delete it. Five or 10 years from now or more, a potential employer searches for your name or face online, and there’s something incriminating for them to find.”

Cutts does extensive classroom training related to a wide variety of topics, ranging from the effects of alcohol to watching out for predators. He has a full presentation on sexting that includes descriptions of a number of high-profile cases, both from within Iowa and nationwide.

He said in extreme cases, the emotional distress from the distribution of nude images and the ensuing reactions can be severe. Cutts regularly tells the story of a girl who committed suicide after trying to deal with such issues.

“The top excuse we hear from kids about sending these images is always the same,” Cutts said. “It’s either, ‘This image was only sent to this one person, and she or he would never forward or post it. But breakups in school can be really nasty and emotional, and it’s too easy to get back at someone by using sensitive material in a mean way.”

Cutts also said some students mistakenly believe that the “dirt” they either know or possess will discourage others from distributing digital media, but this often is not how things unfold. He said the only way to ensure such content is never sent anywhere is to not create it.

Foster said the computer and mobile application Snapchat is particularly challenging for law enforcement because its main function is to allow images to be quickly erased automatically.

“We get involved when someone says they saw something, but then we look at all the devices that we think are involved and find nothing,” Foster said. “That doesn’t mean someone else didn’t save a screenshot or copy a Snapchat conversation in some other way.”

Foster said the safest way to interact in the digital age is to assume nothing can be permanently deleted and to act responsibly and with others in mind. He also said that between his Newton Police Department email address, the Newton SRO Facebook page and everyday contact with teachers and administrators, there are plenty of ways for students and others to make known any information they have about nude images of students.

“Those who know images are being distributed and don’t report it are doing the same damage as those who sent out the images,” Foster said.

Foster will soon be completing his three-year cycle as SRO and will be replaced by Julie Britton early in the 2016-17 school year. He encourages students to be honest and forthright with all law enforcement and he encourages parents to know what is on students’ devices.

Parents are nearly always the ones paying for phones and other devices, he said.

“Know if your children are talking to someone from outside the area, or is significantly older,” Foster said. “And know what kind of photos or video chat is going between your child and others. Look at what’s on the phones.”

Contact Jason W. Brooks at 641-792-3121 ext. 6532 or jbrooks@newtondailynews.com