Officials: Students Charged Following Sexting Investigation In New Jersey
MIDDLE TOWNSHIP, NJ (CBS) – Cape May County Prosecutor Robert L. Taylor and Lower Township Police Chief William Mastriana say nineteen juveniles and one adult have been charged in sexting investigation centered in Lower Cape May Regional High School and the Richard M. Teitelman Middle School.
Authorities say on April 23, school officials were informed by a female student that naked photographs of her friend were being texted around to male students at the school.
School officials notified the Lower Township School Resource Officer and detectives from the Cape May Prosecutor's Office and the Lower Township Police Department launched an investigation.
Officials say during the investigation 27 cell phones were seized and analyzed.
Authorities say the investigation revealed numerous nude and partially nude photographs of female students were being exchanged between male students through text messages and social media.
As a result, officials say 19 juveniles and one adult have been charged with invasion of privacy, a crime of the third degree.
Third degree crimes carry the possibility of three to five years in State Prison for adult offenders and up to two years in the Training School for juvenile offenders, according to the prosecutor's office.
Prosecutor Taylor commended the Lower Cape May Regional High School for their assistance during the investigation.
