Parents were outraged Thursday after learning that two Saugus High School students were arrested for allegedly posting what are being called "inappropriate photos."
"I tell my son all the time ... 'Don't be sending pictures,'" said mother Diana Lopez. "If you get pictures, don't forward pictures. Delete the pictures right away."
The arrests of the unnamed teens may be connected to a Los Angeles County Sherrif’s Department investigation NBC4 News has been following for months into "SCV purge."
That’s a twitter handle where suspects have reportedly shared nude or nearly nude photos of teenage girls.
"These students sometimes don’t recognize the consequences of what they do is actually a crime," said Gail Pinsker, a Hart Union School District spokesperson.
Royal Oakes, NBC4's legal analyst, said if someone sends photos of underage kids and they are nude pictures, that is officially child pornography.
If these students are charged with a felony, they could spend eight years behind bars, if convicted, Oakes said. Even if it’s a twitter prank, he said, it could follow them forever.
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"Whether it's ultimately a misdemeanor or a felony, you have to register as a sex offender for the rest of your life, always telling the government where you are," Oakes said.
