SC- 'Sexting' Becoming Prevalent, Disruptive

11-4-2008 South Carolina:

SIMPSONVILLE, S.C. -- One in five children admit they do things on their cell phone that their parents wouldn't approve of -- and that's just kids who admit it.

If you talk to teens, school principals, even police they'll tell you cell phones and the cameras that come on them, are being abused.

It's part of a dangerous trend called "sexting."

WYFF News Four's Beth Brotherton investigates what teens are doing with their phones behind closed doors.

"They'll be blunt and ask the question. 'Send me a picture, I want to see you naked,' " said one high school student.

Teens tell us the photos are often taken and sent on the condition that they remain private, but they rarely do.

"It is on Facebook. It is on MySpace. It's everywhere, once it gets on the camera phone it is everywhere," another high school said.

The photos are damaging reputations, causing fights and becoming a huge distraction at Upstate schools.

"If they are not abusing it, their friend is abusing it, and showing them how to abuse it," said Hillcrest High School principal Steve Chamness.

Chamness said he has confiscated more than 50 phones already this school year, many of them with inappropriate images of students on the screen saver.

Watch WYFF News 4 at 5 p.m. on Monday night, to hear from teens about why this is happening and how often its happening.

Plus, one of the nation's experts in peer to peer porn offers advice to parents. ..News Source.. by WYFF4.com