November 22, 2024 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

L.A. County Sheriff Pens Open Letter to Teens Taking Nude Selfies

Sheriff Jim McDonnell. Courtesy of Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
Sheriff Jim McDonnell. Courtesy of Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Decrying a wave of nude selfies being uploaded by kids across America, the Los Angeles county sheriff today sent an open letter warning of the huge risk of kids snapping obscene pictures of their nude bodies.

Obscene selfies “are forever present on the Internet, viewed and traded like baseball cards by child molesters, predators, and extortionists,” Sheriff Jim McDonnell wrote in a letter posted today on Facebook and other social media sites.

“What may have started as a copycat of an online trend is now manifesting itself as a nexus between our teens and the predators who seek to exploit them for profit,” he said.

The sheriff warned parents to understand the legal jeopardy for teens sending nude photos over the internet or cellular devices. “Directing someone to make, send, or possess these photos is both a federal and state crime,” he said.

The department’s Human Trafficking Bureau has investigated 519 episodes of nude pictures of children on the web, with 81 of those cases in the past 73 days, he said.

About a quarter of these criminal cases involved young teenage girls and boys who had taken nude selfies “perhaps as an ‘act of love’ for a boyfriend or girlfriend, an act of teenage rebellion, a cry for attention …” McDonnell wrote.

Or, he continued, they were duped into taking the nude selfies by someone posing as a friend or teenage acquaintance.

“All too often, these images end up on the internet or in the hands of child predators, some of whom actually make contact with these children with specific intent of luring them into a relationship, extorting them for additional photos and videos, or in some cases, even money.”

The sheriff called on unnamed “high profile individuals” to demonstrate ‘the importance of setting goals and teaching our children, especially our girls, that they have more to offer than just their bodies.

“Our youth need public figures and parents to work together and provide information to our families about the high-risk consequences of inappropriate photo sharing,” the sheriff wrote.

“Online forums and websites that market themselves as platforms where these images ‘disappear’ are very misleading; let me be clear; these images never disappear,” McDonnell warned.

And he said the consequences for the children can be catastrophic as the nude images are reposted on file sharing sites, “exponentially exposing these inappropriate and illegal images of a young girl or boy.

“Afterward, our young victims often fall into deep depression and have suicidal feelings which stay with them for a lifetime.”

Related Posts

Donate Blood and Save Lives at Culver City Fire Station This Weekend

November 22, 2024

November 22, 2024

Get a T-Shirt, Gift Card for Participating in the Cedars-Sinai Blood Drive The Culver City Rotary Club, in collaboration with...

LAPD Motorcycle Officer Hospitalized After 405 Freeway Crash in Sepulveda Pass

November 21, 2024

November 21, 2024

Collision Near Skirball Center DrivePossibly Involving a Tesla Caused Major Traffic  The 405 Freeway was the scene of a motorcycle...

Santa Monica Police Release Body Cam Footage of Deadly Force Incident Outside Headquarters

November 21, 2024

November 21, 2024

Graphic Video Shows a Violent Assault on an SMPD Officer by a Knife-Wielding Suspect The Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD)...

Breakaway Café Opens New Venice Location with Beachside Grab-and-Go Window

November 20, 2024

November 20, 2024

Bayse Brothers Bring Their Signature Breakfast Dishes and Good Vibes to Venice Breakaway Café, a popular breakfast and lunch eatery...

Last Minute Additions to the Best Thanksgiving 2024 Feasts and Pies To Go

November 20, 2024

November 20, 2024

If Other Faves are Sold Out, Here’s All The Quality Places to Try Now Celebrity chefs Susan Feniger and Mary...

Everytable’s Holiday Meal Collaboration To Support LA’s Unhoused Youth

November 20, 2024

November 20, 2024

Chef Created Thanksgiving Meal Benefits My Friend’s Place. Everytable, the mission-driven company committed to making scratch-cooked, nutritious meals accessible to...

Los Angeles City Council Codifies Sanctuary Protections for Migrants with New Citywide Ordinance

November 19, 2024

November 19, 2024

Mayor Bass Prioritized the Ordinance after Trump’s Mass Deportation Threats The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to officially...

The Palms Community Council’s Executive Committee Schedules Special Meeting for Nov. 20

November 19, 2024

November 19, 2024

Meeting to Address Open Board Positions and Committee Updates The Executive Committee will hold a special meeting on Wednesday, Nov....

Hammer Museum Presents 10th Edition of MoMA Contenders: Screenings, Conversations with Top Filmmakers

November 19, 2024

November 19, 2024

Lineup Features Films by Steve McQueen, Sean Baker, and Brady Corbett The Hammer Museum will host the 10th edition of...

Film Review: Wicked

November 19, 2024

November 19, 2024

By Dolores Quintana Director John Chu (Crazy Rich Asians, In The Heights) has crafted an effervescent take on the blockbuster...

Randy’s Donuts Arrives in Culver City with Free Donuts and a $250 Gift Card Giveaway

November 19, 2024

November 19, 2024

Grand Opening on November 19 Includes Sweet Giveaways Starting at 6:00 a.m. The time is finally here. Randy’s Donuts is...

Nicole Nagel’s Futuristic Eric Moss Designed Brentwood Home To Hit Auction Block

November 18, 2024

November 18, 2024

The Spaceship-Like Property Heads to Auction With No Reserve in December German actress Nicole Nagel, who was part of the...

LA Controller Kenneth Meija: City Left $513 Million of Homelessness Budget Unspent

November 18, 2024

November 18, 2024

Inefficiencies Blamed for Underspending Despite Record Allocation in FY2024  The City of Los Angeles hasn’t spent over half of its...

West LA College Expands Zero-Cost Textbook Programs with $600K Grant

November 18, 2024

November 18, 2024

College Aims for 50 Zero-Cost Textbook Programs by 2025  West Los Angeles College (West) is expanding its zero-cost textbook program...

(Video) At Vistamar School – Discover the way high school should be

November 18, 2024

November 18, 2024

Students achieve remarkable outcomes with our strong academics, small classes, andpersonalized approach. Our graduates don’t just attend college—they excel. Vistamar’sunique...