Guelph teen faces child porn charges after parents get texts with naked photos of their son
'The best advice is probably don't allow these photos to be taken in the first place,' police say
A Guelph, Ont., teen faces child porn charges after police say parents received naked photos of their son via text message from the boy's ex-girlfriend.
Guelph police spokesperson Scott Tracey told CBC News the 16-year-old boy's mother went to the police detachment in late November after receiving a text message with naked photos of her son. A few days later, the boy's father received messages with the same photos.
It's believed the person who sent them was the teen boy's ex-girlfriend and the two had recently broken up.
Tracey says it's unclear why the photos were texted to the boy's parents, but the consequences are serious. The 16-year-old girl believed to have sent the texts now faces charges of possessing and distributing child pornography.
Tracey says some young people may not realize the ramifications of having nude photos of their girlfriends or boyfriends, but it's a serious concern.
"Intimate images of of anyone under the age of 18 is considered child pornography," he said. "Even people possessing photos of themselves, if they're under 18, technically they're in possession of child pornography."
Tracey says young people in relationships may share photos with each other, but he recommends those photos include clothing.
"The best advice is probably don't allow these photos to be taken in the first place," he said.
"We tell people that all the time because once this photo is taken, this digital image can be shared anywhere and posted and you can't recover that once it's out there."
He said if someone receives an intimate photo of another person, they should delete it immediately.
"We often see with young people, they'll receive a photo and then they think it's funny, they show it to their friends, that kind of thing. Every time you show that photo to your friends, you are breaking the law," he said.
"That's distributing or accessing child pornography if the person in the image is under 18. And even if they're over 18 that's distributing intimate images without consent. That is a charge."
Cases of sextortion
The consequences of sharing intimate photos can also lead to cases of sextortion, an online crime where photos are used against their victims to blackmail them.
The RCMP say on their website that sextortion in particular impacts young people between the ages of 14 to 24, although it can "affect anyone no matter their gender, sexual identity or orientation."
WATCH | Parents should talk to their kids early and often about online safety, RCMP say:
RCMP in Prince Edward Island reported there were 63 cases of attempted sextortion in the province in 2023 and there have been more than 30 this year. Teen boys and young men are becoming targets, where they think they're talking to someone who is interested in them romantically, RCMP Cpl. Gavin Moore told CBC News.
"They're coaxed into photo exchanges that lead to compromising photos of a sexual nature. And once these scammers have a compromising photo, they then blackmail victims, threatening to show these photos to friends and family," Moore said.
Public Safety Canada's website offers advice for people who believe they are being sextorted:
- Immediately block and stop all communication.
- Refuse to give in to threats — do not send more naked pictures or pay them money.
- Keep the correspondence to show those who will help you.
- Ask for help from parents, teachers, or another safe adult.
- Report it to Cybertip.ca or the police.
- Get help removing pictures from the internet at NeedHelpNow.ca, a website of the Canadian Centre for Child Protection.
With files from Kate Bueckert, Shane Ross