The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children^'s CyberTipline received a report about a user on a social networking site who posted a sexually explicit image of himself and detailed sexual activity on school property. Investigators identified the 17-year-old boy in the profile and checked his computer, finding 76 pornographic pictures. The teen said that the photos had been e-mailed to him by classmates.

Upon further investigation at the school, officials uncovered serious incidents of cyberbullying involving a group of students who passed around sexual photos of classmates online without their permission. Fifteen victims, age 15 to 17, were identified. The victims pointed to a group of male students who were sharing pornographic pictures of themselves and asking female classmates to do the same.

The victims complied because they felt pressured, had crushes on the boys, or suffered from low self-esteem. Some victims did not realize the seriousness of the situation because "everyone was doing it." They were unaware their images were being shared throughout the school. One student charged $25 to view images of a victim.

Investigators have tracked down hundreds of images and at least one video, and anticipate identifying more victims. It is undecided at this time what criminal charges will be filed.

The Internet facilitates the sharing of images with a larger audience than teens may realize. We urge parents and guardians to talk with their teens to help prevent teens' mistakes from possibly affecting their future.