Florida police cite students for sexting in class

Ocala police say teens shared photo of naked girl

OCALA, Fla. – Two teens were cited for sexting after police said they shared a nude photo of a girl while in class at West Port High School in Marion County.

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The boys, 14 and 15, were cited under Florida's sexting statute, which makes a first-time offense a civil infraction and not a crime for minors.

Police said the first teen downloaded the photo from Instagram, then shared it with the other teen via Kik Messenger. The second boy shared the picture with his cousin, according to Ocala police. A school resource officer uncovered the information and filed the report.

The first teen was cited for possessing and distributing the nude photo, while the second was cited for distributing it. Police said since the photo was sent to his mother's phone he wasn't charged with possession.

The girl told police the picture had been edited via Photoshop.

Both teens face a fine or eight hours of community service. A second offense is a first-degree misdemeanor. The teens were not arrested, but they do have a mandatory court appearance.

Ocala police said they've seen sexting cases increase as teens begin to use social media and computers unsupervised at younger ages.

Sgt. Angy Scroble says police hope word will spread of the punishments and discourage teens from sexting.

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