Lieutenant Aaron Fuller with the Knoxville Police Department tells KNIA/KRLS News nude photos of Knoxville High School students have been found on student cell phones and are purportedly in circulation among students.

Lt. Fuller says that at this point, the investigation is in the information gathering stage. Students are being interviewed. Fuller points out that possession of this material is a crime with potentially serious consequences. Superintendent of Schools Cassi Pearson says the administration has been cooperating with the investigation, and that she encourages parents to talk to their children about the life-altering consequences of sharing digital photos and other information inappropriately. Superintendent Pearson’s full statement is below:

Dear Knoxville Parents: It is with great concern that I share the following information with you today. Even after being taught about the dangers of social media, some of our students have apparently been involved with sharing inappropriate content through their cell phones.

The school has been cooperating with law enforcement since we discovered a potential issue. I encourage parents to talk with your children about the permanence of digital or electronic communication and photos, as well as how easy it is for anything electronic to be captured and shared publicly in a very short time frame. Once something is shared, one loses control over who can access the material. Children have difficulty understanding the ramifications and how they can become life-altering.

Being a parent myself, it is scary and challenging to balance the need to provide a means of communication to our children, monitor their activity, and give them a sense that we trust them and want them to be growing toward independence. We have good kids, but sometimes they make poor choices. Trying to keep up on the newest apps that can pose a threat to our kids is daunting. The apps that are part of the current investigation pose as a calculator but act as a locked vault for photo albums. If your child has two calculators on their phone, you may want to do a little investigation of your own. There are many rumors circulating around town.

Since this is a student discipline issue and ongoing legal investigation, the school is not able to share any further information. Please remember that our children and families in this community need support and encouragement during difficult times. We will continue to teach and discuss both the benefits and risks of social media and technology usage. I encourage you to join in these efforts and show our children and community how much we care!

Sincerely,

Cassi Pearson