Psychologist weighs in on teenagers' explicit photographs

BSO shuts down website with pictures of underage, naked students

AVENTURA, Fla. – A psychologist weighed in on the explicit picture scandal that hit a South Florida high school.

The FBI is investigating who uploaded 14 explicit photographs of six students from several schools, including Cypress Bay High School in Weston, to the internet. The youngest girl pictured was 13.

"Texting, sexting is so prevalent in our society that it's not surprising something like this would happen," said Dr. Anthony Tanona, a psychologist. "I don't think they know all the ramifications."

The website was discovered last week when a student at Cypress Bay High School told a school administrator the website had pictures of naked, underage girls and pictures of teenagers involved in sex acts, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office.

Investigators said the girls took pictures of themselves and shared them. The pictures were then uploaded to the website that received hundred of thousands of page views before it was shut down by BSO's Internal Crimes Against Children Taskforce and its Special Victims unit.

"There can be this need for connection, need for admiration," said Tanona.

Tanona recommends that only pictures a person is okay with being publically available should be shared. He also said parents can limit their children's exposure to social media and talk to them about what's appropriate and what consequences they could face.

So far, no arrests have been made.

Anyone with information in this case is asked to call Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477.

A study by the Internet Watch Foundation found that 88 percent of sexually explicit, self-generated online images and videos of young people would eventually find their way online.