CASTLE ROCK, Colo.-
Prosecutors investigating reports that middle school students had taken nude pictures of each other on their cell phones said Thursday they found no criminal wrongdoing and will not file any charges.
District Attorney Carol Chambers said there is evidence at least one of the photos did get onto the Internet, but there is no evidence of criminal intent or adult involvement.
“I think it was kids being kids and just goofing around,” she said. “There were no sexual implications.”
Many cell phones come with built-in cameras, allowing people to send pictures electronically both from phone to phone and to the Internet, Chambers said. The children involved were 12 and 13 years old and may not have realized the serious repercussions.
The photos were apparently taken by about 18 eighth graders, boys and girls, at Castle Rock Middle School over the past few weeks. Castle Rock is located about 25 miles south of Denver.
“Once those pictures are circulated and get on the Internet, it’s really hard to get them back,” she said. “Once they get out on the Internet, they can be picked up by pedophiles.”
Chambers said the Center for Missing and Exploited Children will help authorities try to track down and eliminate any photos that may have hit the Web, and she said her office plans to work with the school to schedule a seminar for students and parents to talk about the dangers of using cell phone cameras improperly.
“It’s just an important thing for parents to talk to their kids about,” she said.
