Investigation underway after Dover-Sherborn students shared explicit photos
An investigation is underway at Dover-Sherborn Middle School, where police say male students were sharing explicit photos.
Police say they found boys had shared pictures of middle school girls clothed and one student was also sharing nude photos with unknown identities.
'With the technology that's available to young people today, we are in a whole new world this is only the opening, the beginning of what we're going to see probably a great deal more,' said Peter Elikann, Boston 25's legal expert.
Police say one of the students was charged in this case, but Superintendent Beth McCoy says the judge dismissed those charges, and all families of any students involved have been notified.
An email was sent out to families this week, raising concerns over this investigation.
'It is important to know that some of the statements contained in the email are not factual and could be misleading,' said Beth McCoy, Superintendent of Dover-Sherborn Schools, in a letter Wednesday. 'We take very seriously our responsibility to protect the safety and due process rights of every student in our schools. District officials have taken appropriate action throughout this process to adhere to federal, state and district policies and protocols and will continue to do so.'
'At this point, it's not clear to us it may just be some young people who are using very poor judgement and doing something very, very unfair and mean, however it may not be a violation of the law,' said Elikann.
Superintendent McCoy says this incident took place last fall, off school grounds, and they believe the photos of girls from the middle and high school were taken off the internet.
'Our Department placed a high premium on supporting the identified victims and prioritizing their well-being throughout. The Dover Police Department remains committed to the safety and dignity of all — especially our youth,' said Chief Joseph Vinci of the Dover Police Department.
The superintendent says support services have been provided to any student involved in this case.
She also says they hired an independent investigator to look into whether there was a Code of Conduct, Title IX, or Bullying violation here, and that investigation is still in progress.
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