A 15-year-old male student at Presque Isle High School could face criminal charges for allegedly blackmailing and soliciting sexually explicit photos from as many as 20 female students, according to Presque Isle Police Detective Kris Beck.
Last week, in the second full week of classes at PIHS, school district officials alerted the police about some allegations after one of the victims came forward, Beck said.
The 20 victims are all high school age girls and more may have been involved from other area school systems, said Beck, who is leading the investigation into the incident and is still interviewing potential victims.
The 15-year-old student has not been arrested or charged, but could be “looking at potential criminal charges,” Beck said.
The teen allegedly solicited nude smartphone photographs of female students by “attempting to extort and blackmail them,” Beck said. The student allegedly threatened the students, saying he would share personal information or spread rumors about them if they didn’t share photos, according to Beck.
Beck added that it does not appear the student shared the photos with anyone else or followed through on any of his threats.
It is not clear if the student still is attending classes or has been suspended. Efforts to reach school officials were not immediately successful Wednesday.
Beck, who has been with the Presque Isle Police Department for two years, said this is the first major local “sexting” case that could lead to criminal charges.
“Occasionally, we do get phone calls of inappropriate pictures that have been shared without consent. This is the first case of its size that we’ve dealt with,” Beck said.
According to a 2009 survey by the Pew Research Center, approximately 20 percent of teenagers admitted to being involved with “sexting,” including receiving or forwarding photos, while 4 percent said they had sent a photo of themselves.
“Sexting” is legal for consenting adults. Those who possess or distribute nude images of minors in Maine, however, are breaking the law and can face a host of charges, including possession of child pornography.
Last year, a former Piscataquis Community High School student was sentenced to 10 days in jail and required to register as a sex offender for 10 years after he solicited and later shared a sexually explicit video from a 13-year-old middle school student while he was 18.
Detective Beck said that parents should remind their children about the dangers and consequences of sharing sexually explicit photos.
“We encourage parents to talk with their kids about the dangers of predators out there. Once you click that send button, you’re pretty much allowing that other person to do whatever they will with that photo.
To reach a sexual assault advocate, call the Statewide Sexual Assault Crisis and Support Line at 800-871-7741, TTY 888-458-5599. This free and confidential 24-hour service is accessible from anywhere in Maine. Calls are automatically routed to the closest sexual violence service provider.
