5 Teens in Rochester Sexting Scandal Referred to Juvenile Court

Five teens will be charged in Oakland County juvenile court on allegations they shared sexually explicit photos. (Photo by Jhaymesisviphotography via Flickr/Creative Commons)

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Five teens under the age of 16 have been referred to juvenile court in connection with last fall’s Rochester area sexting scandal that involved nearly 40 teens.

The initial investigation began with some girls sharing nude photos of themselves and their friends among themselves, then escalated to the point that nearly 37 students were involved in sharing the explicit photos.

Authorities initially put the number of teens implicated in the scandal at 31, and later adjusted the estimate to more than 70 teens, The Oakland Press reports.

The students, all under the age of 17, were students at Rochester Adams High School and Van Hoosen Middle School in Rochester Hills.

Oakland County Prosecutor Jessica Cooper told The Oakland Press that 12 students – six girls and six boys – were referred to youth assistance program. The five other cases were referred to Juvenile Court though Cooper declined to discuss specifics.

She said involvement in the sexting scandal varied from student to student. “This was a huge situation because in some cases, it was more than youthful curiosity,” she said, explaining some cases were “well, more than boyfriend-girlfriend (activity).”

Related:

• Rochester Area Teens Could Face Felonies for Sexting
• Hundreds of Nude Photos Bomb Teen’s New Smartphone
• 50 Sexting Terms Kids Don’t Want You to Know
• Teen’s Nude Selfie Turns Into 5-Year Nightmare
• Sexting and Kids: Should Advent of ‘Sexting’ Prompt Legal Reform?

Initially, officials said the teens could face felony charges for the wire transmission of sexually explicit material, but handling the case in juvenile court gives authorities means the teens don’t automatically acquire criminal records that follow them into adulthood, Cooper said.

“(It’s) very different than adult court,” she said. “The object is to help these kids.”

The court proceedings cap a months-long investigation in which forensics specialists scoured the dozens of cellphones and other devices to determine at what level the different teens were involved in spreading the explicit photographs.

“It’s not like ‘CSI’,” Cooper said. “It took months and months.”