Students in Ridgewood have until Monday morning at 7 a.m. to delete nude photos that they may have shared, or face criminal charges.

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This after a concerned student claimed to have seen such photos and brought the issue to administrators in the high school.

"When high school administrators conducted a preliminary investigation and realized what they were dealing with, they decided to contact the police," said Ridgewood School Superintendent Daniel Fishbein. "In the meantime, we determined that it was important to notify the parents and to give the students the opportunity to remedy the situation."

A letter went out to the parents of all students in grades six through 12 explaining that police are investigating whether some high school students may have shared images of naked or partially nude people engaged in real or pretend sex acts. He included the younger students because of their knowledge and use of social media.

The letter asked parents to talk to their children and delete such photos from their phones or other electronic devices.

Students have until 7 a.m. Monday morning to delete the photos or they could face criminal charges which could include possession and distribution of child pornography.

"Students often share these images of themselves and others without realizing the potential consequences. It's unfortunate that a young child would do something like this even though we talk to and teach them about the dangers that can occur," said Fishbein. "We will continue dialogue over this important issue."

"While it can be a very good thing, social media and smart phones can also be very dangerous. It's a changing world when it comes to technology and apps that are available to our children. So, this seems to be the cycle we go through."

 

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