In three separate incidents this week, teenage students are suspected of distributing child pornography after police learned they used cell phones to forward inappropriate images of teen girls to friends or, in one of the cases, to a Snapchat site that has many followers.
Two of the teenagers, a 13-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl, have already been charged with felony counts of distributing child pornography. Charges against a 15-year-old boy, and others who may have possessed or distributed the images in that case, are pending.
Two of the incidents were initiated by teen girls who took inappropriate photos of themselves and texted the photos to their boyfriends. The boyfriends then shared the images with friends.
The Las Cruces Police Department is not publicly identifying the teenagers or the schools they attend. None of the images are believed to have been taken at or during school hours.
The Las Cruces Police Department reminds everyone – teenagers and adults – that the manufacturing, possession or distribution of child pornography is a felony offense that, if convicted, could remain on a criminal record for life. Those convicted also could be ordered to register as a sex offender – a label that makes it difficult to find employment, join the military services or earn a higher education.
Sexual exploitation of children includes creating, possessing or distributing obscene or sexually explicit images of anyone under the age of 18.
Police encourage parents to talk with their children and explain the ramifications of taking, sending or receiving sexually explicit images of children.
Information from Las Cruces Police