San Rafael Teen Accused Of Posting Lewd Photos Of Other Teens: Police

NOVATO, CA — Police allege a San Rafael teen arrested this week distributed lewd images of other Marin County teens and used anonymous social media accounts to bully people and provoke gang violence.

According to the Novato Police Department, investigators were alerted to multiple concerning social media accounts last month. Police said the accounts' owner offered "embarrassing and illicit images" of local teens to any who requested them, and many were leaked from underage victims' accounts.

The department's school resource officer began investigating, secured search warrants and identified the suspect as a teen from San Rafael, police said.

The officer found the teen Tuesday and booked them into a juvenile hall on suspicion of distributing inappropriate and illegal images, attempting to destroy evidence, and obstructing a police officer.

"The Novato Police Department has zero tolerance for crimes against children and reminds our community of all ages to think before you share pictures and information online," Novato police wrote on Facebook. "It is important to consider potential risks to your privacy and safety when sharing photos and information."