By Matt Wiley
The discovery of pornographic images involving minors on a cell phone has led to the arrest of a 15-year-old student at Wire- grass Ranch High (WRH).
According to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO), on May 21, the female student’s iPhone was taken away from her during class. The teacher who seized the phone discovered a photo of two juveniles engaging in oral sex, which is considered by law to be child pornography. The teacher reported the photo to the school resource officer.
The student was arrested just after noon on July 1 at her home.
“The teacher was going through the phone, looking for evidence of cheating when she found the pictures,” says Linda Cobbe, spokeswoman for the Pasco County School District (PCSD).
During interviews with classmates, PCSO reports that at least five students were shown the photo and that one senior even shared the photo on Twitter, but no additional arrests had been made at our press time.
Cobbe says that the girl’s parents have since removed her from WRH and that she will now go through the legal process.
“She’s not banned from returning (to Wiregrass Ranch or a Pasco County school),” Cobbe explains. “But, it will take some time. The punishment could mean a recommendation for expulsion or time at an alternative learning center.” PCSO spokesman Doug Tobin says that the offense, which is considered a felony, will work its way through the court system, but it is not yet known whether the student will be tried as an adult.
“This case lets people know how seri- ous a crime this can be,” Tobin says. “Students need to be aware that something like (possession of child pornography) can follow you the rest of your life.”
Tobin explains that this was not a case of a student not knowing that the photo was on her phone. He says that, following an argument between the girl who took the photo (and was arrested) and one of the victims, the student who took the photo maliciously went off to hurt the other student’s reputation by sharing it with others.
Detective William Lindsey, who heads the PCSO Cybercrimes unit and made the arrest, says that one of the highest increases in child pornography has been situations in which it has been produced by juveniles.
“I want to urge parents to monitor their students’ phones and Internet activity to protect them from similar charges,” said WRH principal Robyn White in a phone message to parents on July 1. “I also want to remind students that it’s not worth it to take images of body parts or activities that could result in criminal charges. Please use phones and cameras responsibly.”
