When you are called down to the office your mind wanders as to what it could be about. Maybe you lost your ID, or maybe your bad parking jobs are finally catching up to you. Either way, you will at least be able to move on with your classes, high school and your intended future.

For New Trier students this September, that wasn’t the case.

Linda Yonke, New Trier HS superintendent, sent out an email to parents Friday, Sept. 14 stating that, “New Trier administrators recently were made aware of allegations that some of our students had transmitted text messages or emails containing inappropriate pictures to other students” and that they had turned the information over to Winnetka Police.

Very little official information has been released regarding punishment or students involved.

According to Nicole Dizon, New Trier director of communications, “Due to the ongoing police investigation and student privacy issues, the district cannot provide any details.”

New Trier senior Caitlin Bischoff says that the scandal majorly involved a group of junior boys who had images of naked female students on their phones. After turning over the information to Winnetka Police, many of the perpetrators had to get lawyers.

According to the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA), the premier legal association in the state of Illinois, “sexting” is the practice of sending nude or semi-nude pictures by cell phone or other electronic media. Additionally, one in five teenagers has sent sexually suggestive, nude or semi-nude “sext” messages by phone or otherwise.

A similar situation occurred at Springman Middle School last year. Many girls received explicit images via text by a group of boys. This resulted in suspension and other disciplinary action.

The Oracle Editorial Board urges students to refrain from sending these  “sext” messages, for it can be damaging to your image and future.

Students often snicker when they hear “sexting”, but it’s clearly both common and criminal. The Oracle Editorial Board hopes that South students realize just how serious this issue is. If you send naked pictures of yourself and you are under 18, you are committing a crime.

Illinois changed the law in 2010, making it a misdemeanor for minors to receive or distribute child pornography or “sexts”. Misdemeanors can result in hefty fines and sometimes jail time. Yet under the Child Pornography Act, it is still a felony if the sexting is occurring between an adult and a minor. It is common for South students to be involved in relationships with younger or older students and it’s these students that are at the greatest chance of being potential perpetrators.

Seniors who are 18 and are charged with possession or distribution of child pornography are at risk for large fines, jail time and having to register as a sex offender for the rest of their lives. When imagining a sex offender, we don’t visualize one of our peers, but these are the consequences, and they follow you for the rest of your life.

The Oracle Editorial Board asks students to realize that sexting when either party is a minor is illegal. You might think you’re sending a picture to your boyfriend or girlfriend whom you trust, but according to the ISBA, 25 percent of teen girls and 33 percent of teen boys admit they have been forwarded sext messages that were originally meant for someone else.

If you receive explicit pictures of someone else, delete them from your phone immediately. Do not forward or spread these images because the second you do you are committing the offense of distribution of child pornography if the picture is of a minor. The consequences are great and follow you for the rest of your life; don’t put your reputation and future at stake for the pleasure of someone else.