Nude Snapchat sexting photos lead to child porn investigation of NJ teens

Teens at Ridgewood High School in Ridgewood, New Jersey could face child pornography charges after naked pictures on Snapshot of two girls at the school went viral. The pictures were sent to a boy at the school using an app called Snapchat, which allows people to send images or videos that disappear within seconds after receiving it. The X-rated pictures would have evaporated without a trace on anyone's phone, except that the boy was quick enough to capture the images and posted them on Instagram.      

Brands like MTV love that teens and young adults have the ability to make things viral because they are eager to share things on apps and sites like Tumblr, Instagram, and Twitter. Well, that's what happened to the pictures. The naked shots went viral and the police are now involved.

Parents in the affluent Jersey town have until 7 a.m. on March 18 to discuss the repercussions of sending X-rated pictures and delete the photos. Otherwise, they face child pornography charges, and if convicted, they would need to register as sex offenders. Crazy! They'd be treated in the same manner as sickos like Jerry Sandusky and pedophiles who take explicit pictures of toddlers and adolescents.   
I'm sure parents in Ridgewood hadn't even heard of Snapchat before the incident. And even parents who check their child's phone would think of checking text messages and chat history, but would never know to look for an app that lets teens send racy pictures and remove any trace of them.

Read more ¿Qué más?: Turns out Penn State really DID know Jerry Sandusky was molesting young boys

Sometimes I feel like the most distrusting parent around because of the strict phone rules we've imposed. My son must put his phone on the counter when he comes home. He can use his iPhone in common areas, but it must never go into his room or the bathroom. If he downloads any apps, it emails me or sends me a receipt (even if it's free) because it's attached to my account.

Unfortunately, the combination of the digital age and the curiosity during the teenage years have made parenting just a little more complicated.

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