CBS 19 - The Eye of East Texas News - Special Report: The consequences of sexting

Special Report: The consequences of sexting

By Michele Reese - email

TYLER (KYTX) - If your kid is in his or her teens, they are part of the first generation to have essentially unlimited access to the Internet since birth.  With that comes easy access to sexually explicit material. Many kids are finding it on their smart phones.

"Adolescent curiosity is going to drive them into it," licensed therapist Wade French said.

The average kid now sees his first pornographic image at age 11. French said he's seeing more kids who not only have round the clock access to pornography, but who take advantage of that access. With that comes long term consequences.

"They get exposed way too early, and I think also it starts to give them ideas about human sexuality and this becomes their picture of it," French said.

Psychologist Laurie Ann Frank said some kids are putting those ideas into action.

"In working with juveniles that commit sexual offenses, we're now seeing children coming in registered for issues of sex abuse, because they've gotten hold of information on the computer to their iPhone and then they go on experimenting on other people," Frank said.

Many of those kids - some as young as ten - face jail time as a result. But, a child doesn't have to act out to end up in trouble.

"If a child sends a picture of their sex organ to another child they could be facing child pornography charges," Frank said. "People don't realize the seriousness of what they're getting into."

But Texas Attorney General Gregg Abbott does.

"It is a crime to possess child pornography. Images of teens sent by way of telephone by definition involve child pornography. It is very important that teens understand it is both inappropriate and potentially illegal," Abbott said.

"They can easily wind up with the designation of sex offender, and that is a heavy thing to carry with you," French added.

To help with this growing problem, Tyler ISD passed a ban on sending, receiving or possessing sexually suggestive messages. But, Frank says parents are the first line of defense.

"Check all electronic media your child has access to. Get blocks on it and talk to them about the reality and the consequences of what could occur by getting onto these site or by sending pictures of yourself," Frank said.

There are several items available to block this kind of thing from your child's phone, like Smart Limits from ATT. For $4.99 a month parents can monitor what their kids are looking at and how long they are online, on their phone.

According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited children, 20 percent of teens have admitted to some form of sexting.

So far there have been no sexting cases in Smith County courts. If you would like more information on this topic be sure to read Kenneth Dean's article in the Tyler Morning Telegraph on Sunday.