Ex-Cheerleader Talks About Town's Teen Porn Scandal
Emmaus grad never thought "cute" underwear shot would end up online.
The town of Emmaus, Pa. continues to buzz over a teen sexting-porn scandal revealed when parents complained to police several days ago.
As officials investigate, one young woman talks about what it's like having photos of her on an X-rated website where users can search for porn under categories like "college bitches" and "drunk/passed out."
T. and a girlfriend posed in their underwear in front of a mirror because they thought they looked "cute," she told Patch. That was in 2008 when she was a sophomore at Emmaus High School (EHS) and she sent the photo to her then boyfriend.
Looking back, the former high school cheerleader said, “I never thought, ‘They’ll think it’s sexy. And then post it online.’
“I’m in a bra and underwear, so I was comfortable and not worried about anything when I took it,” T. said. “When you thought you could trust someone, it just sucks. A lot of the girls are saying ‘you deserve it, you did it to yourself.’
“All girls have to admit they’ve done something similar at some point,” T. added. “At first I was really upset. My current boyfriend told me to calm down because it’s not that big of a deal. I’ve been in a bathing suit. So, I was really upset and then I was over it.”
T. said students have known about the website for years.
"I knew about it my freshman year. It was never a big deal…I found out about it through boys from other schools like Northampton," she said.
Emmaus Police and the Lehigh County District Attorney’s office are investigating following complaints from parents. Several students told Patch that problems began when boys started posting photos of ex-girlfriends on the raunchy site. But while some girls are embarrassed and didn't show up for school on Monday, others are bragging.
T. said, “Some of them (the other girls) are OK with it because some of them are just whores. Some of them deserve that. Other girls that are like me, they sent pictures to a boyfriend. You don’t think about something like that when you send pictures to someone you love. “
Officials say most teens don’t realize how risky sexting can be and what a dangerous and unforgiving place cyberspace actually is. T. agreed: “Girls have to know they’re gonna be out there no matter what if you take the pictures.”
T. said the website in question has been taken down many times. She says that after she learned about it during her freshman year, she would periodically check the site to make sure that no pictures of her or her friends were on it.
She learned from friends about a month ago that her photos were back online. “I didn’t think that many girls from EHS would be posted after mine (were posted). I kept hearing people talking about it and saw it on Facebook,” T. says.
T. has also been in contact with another 2011 grad whose pictures appear on the site.
Her friend, C., who is working toward her teaching degree at a Pennsylvania college, sent T. a text message yesterday related to the photos. T. said her friend is concerned about how the pictures may affect her teaching career.
“She’s really worried,” T. said.
The question for T. is how current photos of her got to the site. She admits to texting her underwear picture to two other boys about three years ago. But she emailed at least one of the other photos (showing her wearing her current boyfriend’s T-shirt) directly to him and he said he did not share the photo with anyone.
T. believes that somehow her email account or computer was hacked.
Lehigh County District Attorney James Martin said Tuesday that this investigation will take time, but it does not appear any wrongdoing took place on school property.
careless fills
12:07 pm on Thursday, October 6, 2011
A picture of anyone in bra and undies, as described by the intrerviewee, while mildly salacious, is not pornographic by any reasonable standard.
Susan Koomar
2:09 pm on Thursday, October 6, 2011
We didn't go into as much detail describing the website in this story as in previous reporting done earlier this week, but the site features many very graphic images
LM Resident
1:04 pm on Thursday, October 6, 2011
no--it's not pornographic--but its not something high school kids should be doing.
An interested bystander
2:40 pm on Thursday, October 6, 2011
If I'm not mistaken the HS includes in the curriculum education on the risks of pictures and other information being online.
Employers and colleges are more frequently googling candidates and bad information or compromising pictures factor into decisions.
Honestly I'm glad I'm older and didn't have to deal with this. But it's reality and our kids need to be more vigilant.
Ela Darling
8:15 pm on Thursday, October 6, 2011
Other girls are whores for doing exactly what I did and experiencing the same level of victimization or worse. Because I did it for my boyfriend. So obviously they deserve it but I don't.
What a freaking class act. I'm so sick of slut-shaming coming from hypocrites like this winner.
Heather N.
12:56 pm on Friday, October 7, 2011
She was paraphrasing the article.
Rosemary B
10:41 pm on Thursday, October 6, 2011
Don't understand what any of these girls are thinking! Once you send someone a picture they can, and will, do anything they want with it and it can effect you for years. Let this be a lesson to all girls and boys and parents. I disabled my kids ability to take, receive or send pics from their phones after I found out more then one boy had asked my daughter for a not so nice pic of herself and had also sent her a not so nice pic. . It did not make me popular, but it makes me feel safer. Kids do not make the best decisions and parents sometimes have to take the temptation to do something stupid out of their hands.
Shelly Sansaver
11:28 am on Friday, October 7, 2011
We, parents, educators, pastors, mentors and leaders of all kinds are doing a terrible job of teaching the next generation to THINK!
optimist
1:04 pm on Friday, October 7, 2011
Not sure why the survey above is asking about sexting being a problem within a school district. This problem is not about a school district. East Penn somehow got the focus which is a distortion of the reality here. Are we to assume that kids in one school district have more or less of a problem than in other schol districts?
LM Resident
1:19 pm on Friday, October 7, 2011
correct--it is not the school district or teachers. It shows the depravity of the human race---we are out of control.
careless fills
2:17 pm on Friday, October 7, 2011
Apparently the children involved live in one (or more) of the municipalities in the East Penn School District and the story has been reported here and in the LMAC patch and in other press. Like it or not, for people of school age (and their parents) events like this cross town borders, and the next largest community or grouping is the East Penn School District and/or Emmaus High School, which of course is the only high school in all five communities and thus serves as the link that connects us all here.
optimist
2:25 pm on Friday, October 7, 2011
Not true. The kids on the wesite are from multiple school districts. Somehow the impression has been given that it is East Penn kids only.
careless fills
8:59 pm on Friday, October 7, 2011
Wayne, I agree, there's no doubt that kids from other districts appear to be involved. See: http://uppermacungie.patch.com/articles/parkland-students-may-be-involved-in-sexting-case-e27b79d8. But the origin of the DA's investigation seems to be from complaints by Emmaus/EPSD parents and hence the initial focus there. Of course you would follow leads wherever they took you. But, where else would you start?
Rosemary B
9:05 pm on Friday, October 7, 2011
It is a problem all over. We are from Nazareth and boys from Nazareth and Bethlehem have asked for naughty pictures to be sent to them. And one of them sent her a semi nude pic! That is when I disabled that feature on my kids phones. Parents need to be checking their kids phones. Don't be afraid to parent!
Sharon
9:09 pm on Monday, October 10, 2011
This is a HUGE problem and seems to be getting worst every year. Sadly enough many so called "parents " promote it...ever look at what girls or so called "young ladies" are allowed to homecoming dances, parties, or to simply go out? Im not sure when less became so best. Shame on us parents. I dont understand why its the schools fault. Is it really OK if we teach them "safe sex"?????
Linda Wimmer
7:30 am on Tuesday, October 11, 2011
The girls should have more pride in themselves and not take these type of pics no matter who asks them - Just say NO. Attention Parents - if your daughter is doing this for her boyfriend, what are they doing in private!
Kevin Spear, PE
8:58 am on Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Phones are merely a tool of this generation. And clearly, the internet can create emotional storms out of sketchy information. Lesson learned it seems. Where do parents set the trust/intrusion line to keep kids safe from themselves?