'Sexting' an explosive issue locally - Teens think sexting is harmless, but sending explicit pictures can blow up in their faces

by JANET LUNDQUIST
January 10, 2010
The Herald News

Type "sexting" into a Google search and more than 6 million links come up.

The phenomenon -- sending nude photos or sexually explicit text messages between cell phones -- is starting to hit the media, but isn't new. Especially to teenagers.

The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy conducted a survey in September and October 2008 that found 20 percent of teenagers have posted online or electronically sent nude or semi-nude photos of themselves.

The survey also found 39 percent of teenagers have sent sexually suggestive text or e-mail messages.

Plainfield police are trying to sort out a sexting case in which a nude photo sent by text message was forwarded and circulated to nearly half the students at Plainfield East High School.

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Bridgewater-Raritan High School teacher suspended over 'sexting' allegation

by Kara L. Richardson
October 27, 2009
My Central Jersey.com

BRIDGEWATER — A Bridgewater-Raritan Regional High School Spanish language teacher who police said exchanged sexually explicit text and e-mail messages with a student has been suspended, district officials said.

George H. Friery Jr., 50, of Oakland Drive in the Whitehouse Station section of Readington has been released from Somerset County Jail on $50,000 bail with a condition that he has no contact with the alleged victim, jail authorities said.

The family members of the 15-year-old female student called police after they noticed inappropriate pictures and text and e-mail messages between Friery and the student, Somerset County Prosecutor Wayne J. Forrest said.

Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District Superintendent Michael Schilder declined to discuss the details of the case, as it is a personnel and student matter.

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‘Sexting,’ parents talk to your teens

by Diana Sharp
October 27, 2009
Galion Inquirer

Every parent concerned for their children’s welfare should know how to talk with their children on the topic of ‘sexting.’

‘Sexting’ involves the distribution of graphic sexual messages or photos by cell phone.

The potential for this activity to affect one’s life negatively is great; when it involves a minor on either end of the exchange, it may change one’s life forever. If convicted criminally, an offender could have a reporting requirement for 20 or more years as a sex offender.

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Area Schools To Prep Students On "Sexting" Dangers

October 26, 2009
KBMT News 12

Its a growing problem among minors across the country, and in Southeast Texas, that could present consequences that last a lifetime. In the most extreme cases - "sexting" or sending sexually explicit messages or photos by cell phone - could result in child pornography charges. Such charges would require those convicted of the crime to register as sex offenders.

12 News Reporter Liz McKernan has more on what one school district is doing to fight back against underage sexting.

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Smart Ways to Help Your Tweens and Teens Navigate the Real World

by Rosalind Wiseman
Family Circle Magazine

My daughter is 13 and is texting every waking moment. When I make her turn off her phone she gets furious. Should I set limits anyway?

Click here to download the article

Why do You Need Parental Controls? The news articles below highlight how Parental Controls can help you.

Protect Your Child Against Digital Dangers

July 28, 2009
kmtv.com

Omaha, NE - Parents beware, x-rated picture texts or "sexting" and pedophiles targeting teens on their phones are on the rise. Tonight, we take action against these digital crimes to protect your kids.

It's a high tech tracker, new cell phone software has parents dialed in. "Now with these phones and as powerful as they are, now it can be a lot more dangerous and it just really makes kids more vulnerable." Private investigator Brett Pippen sees these digital dangers first hand. Pedophiles stalking children and worse. Now, parents can take action. We had the P.I. install this new spyware. He chose the SMobile Systems brand because he knows it. Look how easy it is, he types in the number of the cell phone he's targeting and in minutes has complete access to it.

"The latest and greatest feature allows you to punch in the names and numbers of who you want calling your kid if someone else texts or call them your your email is flagged. It also has a word alert feature, if your child sends or receives something innapropriate you'll know. And kid savvy sayings are all spelled out for you. It also cuts down on the new naked picture craze, "Sexting".

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Teen Faces Charges for Her Own Nude Photos - ABC News

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Software Alert: SMobile Security Shield Parental Control Gives More Power To Parental Control

May 12, 2009
BlackBerry Sync

Parents, with all the media coverage of sexting, and the worries of your children and teens on MySpace and who they are texting on their cell phone, you won’t need to worry much longer. SMobileSystems has heard your pleas and has created the answer to those hopes with a new software designed for your peace of mind.

The software, SMobile Security Shield Parental Control Edition, is a software you can download to your child’s and teen’s handset within minutes. Why is this software unique? It gives an online dashboard to the parents to be able to monitor communications on the phone including:

E-Mail and Text Message Monitoring. What is the content of the email and the texts?
Call Monitoring
GPS Locate, where is the person who is communicating with your child? Track the phone if it is stolen.
Anti-Virus & Anti-Malware
View Contacts, who is your child communicating with?
Monitoring Dashboard for the parents online, so parents can view the messages and contents of the messages. And make changes accordingly, even blocking calls, texts, and emails.
Application Monitoring, such as Facebook and MySpace
Lock, Wipe, Backup & Restore; In other words you can lock up their phone, wipe it if it’s stolen, and Back it up to Restore later.

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Charges: West Babylon woman had sex with student, 14
May 29, 2009
newsday.com

A West Babylon woman had sex with a 14-year-old student in the Queens classroom where she is a middle school teacher - and was caught when the boy's mother heard rumors and found hundreds of text messages and calls between the two, authorities said Friday.

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Please Stop The 'Sexting' Insanity
April 21, 2009
YPulse

You may have noticed that the media has fully embraced "sexting" [a term invented by the media] as the latest horror story about teens and technology. First it was about how the internet is teeming with predators a la "To Catch A Predator," with the most dramatic stories focusing on girls who met these predators in real life [read the real deal here: Online "Predators" And Their Victims]. Next it was about cyberbullying, highlighting the most extreme cases that ended in young people having to switch schools or even more tragically committing suicide. The latest is "sexting," where teens are naively sending and receiving sexually explicit photos or video of themselves to friends via cell phone, again, with the most dramatic cases highlighted — and the real travesty, in my opinion, — being the misuse of existing laws to prosecute 18-year-olds involved in these cases as sex offenders.

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Find out what your teen is doing online
March 5, 2009
today.msnbc.com

Parenting in the 21st century presents a new set of challenges that require new solutions. Like their parents before them, today's parents have to help their kids navigate school, friends, crushes, extracurricular activities and sexuality. But they also face a bewildering new world, driven by technology and media. In this excerpt from “What Every 21st-Century Parent Needs to Know,” Debra W. Haffner addresses what parents can do to help their kids navigate the Internet.

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Tapping Your Cell Phone
November 14, 2008
13WTHR

13WTHR Investigates and explains how your cell phone can be secretly hijacked and used against you - and how to protect yourself.

View the video clip>>