Teacher loses his license for alleged sexting

This from the Daily-Independent:

The Boyd County teacher accused of sending sexually charged text messages to a middle school student has lost his Kentucky teaching credentials forever, state records show.

Minutes of the Sept. 14 meeting of the Kentucky Educational Professional Standards Board, posted online, show that Creth Boyd, 28, agreed to surrender his teaching credentials and never to apply for teaching or administrative certification in Kentucky again.

Boyd is charged with sending the messages to a 14-year-old student at Boyd County Middle School.

His indictment, issued Nov. 13, alleges that Boyd sent at least one message to the girl with his cell phone in December in hopes of inducing her to have sex with him, said Boyd County Commonwealth’s Attorney David Justice...

Texting, cell phones a growing problem for high school staff

This from the Springfield Sun:

Cell phones are one of the most convenient modern devices in the world today, but for many schools, they are also a growing problem.

Washington County High School Principal Leon Smith said his school has had some recent incidents, and many of them have stemmed from the use of cell phones and text messaging.

“We’ve had some situations where we’ve had a few more fights than normal,” Smith said Monday. “It seems most of them stem from some type of text message sent over the weekend or the night before, and many times to multiple recipients, and they get blown out of proportion.”

Smith said messages are sometimes confrontational, and when the students arrive at school, that is the first opportunity they have to settle the problem, and it becomes a school problem...

... “It’s not just our school, but across the state and the nation, cell phones are becoming more of a problem when they are used to send rumors, hateful messages, or even details about where and when other students may get into a fight,” Smith said. “I’m afraid parents don’t realize the seriousness of cell phones in a school building. The cell phone is meant for good, but some teens have turned it into something that could be dangerous.”

It’s not just text messages, but also photos that are a growing concern for school staff members when it comes to cell phones. A new trend known as “sexting” involves a sexually explicit photo being sent via cell phone, and Smith said he sees more explicit messages each day as phones are confiscated.

“I’m blown away with the types of messages some of these kids are sending. We don’t take phones to read text messages, but some are willing to review messages with us, and the language and context some of the things are being said in these messages is so inappropriate. Parents really need to be aware what their teens are sending and receiving on their phones.” ...

'Sexting' teenagers face child-porn charges

This from the Orlando Sentinel:

20% of teens have sent nude photos of themselves

via cell phone or posted the images on a Web site.

After his former girlfriend taunted him, Phillip Alpert remembered the nude photos she e-mailed to him while they were dating.

He took revenge with an electronic blast — e-mailing the photos of the 16-year-old girl to more than 70 people, including her parents, grandparents and teachers.Three days later, Alpert, then 18, was charged with transmitting child pornography.

Today Alpert is serving five years of probation for the crime, and he is registered as a sex offender — a label he must carry at least until he is 43.

"I didn't know how bad of a decision it was," Alpert, now 19, said recently at his MetroWest apartment. "I don't think it's fair." ...