Five teenagers busted for sexting pictures, videos

IRON MOUNTAIN — The Dickinson County Prosecutor’s Office released a statement Friday about an investigation into teenagers sexting each other.

According to the release, five 15-year-old teenagers were involved in the taking and sharing of nude teen photographs. By law, those actions meet the definition of child sexually abusive material.

Multiple police agencies within the county discovered the teens were using cell phone apps such as ‘KeepSafe,’ which allows them to conceal certain photos and videos from their parents. These applications allow teens to create a ‘fake pin’ that when entered, hides the illicit photographs or videos.

In a statement to the media, Dickinson County Prosecutor Lisa Richards said, “We feel that it’s our responsibility as a law enforcement community to get this message out and to prevent child pornography from being produced, distributed, or possessed.”

The prosecutor’s office has chosen to not charge the teenagers for the sexting activity. The cell phones taken from the teens were confiscated and were not returned.

Any electronic device seized by police as a result of a sexting investigation will never be returned. The law enforcement community is asking parents and/or guardians to make themselves familiar with these apps and to monitor their child’s cell phone and internet usage.