Sexting Dangers, Part 1 - John Dunn

It's high tech trouble that some call a national epidemic.

More and more teenagers are using their cell phones to send sexual messages and pictures, many of which they later regret.

The practice is called sexting, and experts say its probably happening in your childs school, and could even involve your teen.

Its todays teenage lifeline.

Do it like 800 times a day, says teenager Daniel Henke.

Why talk on the phone when a text message will do?

"That's pretty much all we do now," says teenager Charles Metcalf.

Cell phones are everywhere, and as technology evolves your children are finding a new way to use their phones.

"I play football so I hear about all the stuff that the older guys are talking about," says Metcalf..

"I would definitely say it's on the upslope. It's a growing problem that people need to be aware of," says teenager Whitney Gregory.

It's called sexting-sending sexually explicit messages, pictures, and even videos.

"Nowhere is safe. I mean it's going on in every community right now," says Franklin Police Det. Stephanie Cisco.

Franklin Police departments internet crimes against children task force sees it all the time.

"As of right now, I see it as still on its way up, as being more and more of a national epidemic," says Franklin Police Det. Brett Kniss.

Teenagers tell us sexting usually begins between boyfriends and girlfriends.

"Some people look at it as just another way you're taking your relationship to the next level," says teenager Christian Clinard.

But what starts as something private, can quickly become public. Especially if that girlfriend and boyfriend break up.

"He'd forward the message and be like, oh check this out, look what I got you know," says teenager Blake Ridings.

"Once you take those pictures and send them out there, they're out forever, I mean you're never going to get it back," says Det. Cisco.

There's a reason police are involved in this disturbing trend.

Those racy images created by teenagers, for teenagers, are also illegal.

"They're possessing and or distributing child pornography," says Det. Kniss.

"Prosecutors have to look at sexual exploitation of a minor, which basically says if you are in possession of a photo that meets this criteria, you can be charged with this offense," says Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Moore.

Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Moore has handled a number of sexting cases.

She says while her office isn't looking to charge and prosecute teenagers with a felony, it is a possibility.

"A lot of state's have juvenile sex offender registries so you could be looking at, if you were moving to another state, having to register as a juvenile sex offender," says Moore.

Detectives are now trying to educate student about sexting.

"We're getting it from junior high all the way up through high school right now," says Det. Cisco.

Police say parents need a lesson too.

Many have no idea how widespread sexting has become.

"It has come to an extreme point, and I think that we as law enforcement and as a community need to get the message out that this is not an acceptable practice, and the consequences can be very dangerous," says Det. Kniss.

No school is immune from these dangers.

"It's not just one of those big city type things, cause it's happening everywhere with most teenagers," says Gregory.

It's a problem that now has our children in its sights.

A recent survey found that 20% of teenagers have sent or posed sexually explicit pictures of themselves.

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