Parents said they connected the IP address of one of the sites where many of the pictures appeared and a user name responsible for posting images on other sites to the individual. Parents in Orange County were further upset when they said they found evidence that some of the photos were taken by someone who worked for the University of California at Irvine Police Department. Gould said she has contacted the FBI, and that federal investigators "were sympathetic but said there is no legal recourse. They're posted on message boards for adult men all over the world who lewdly discuss their physical attributes." "We've found pictures of kids in Michigan, New York and across the country. "This isn't just happening with kids from California," she said.
"They juxtapose the photos next to really explicit images, and by the time they're done cropping them, we think they can be considered pornographic," said Joan Gould, an international water polo official and spokeswoman for a group of Orange County players' parents. The parents contend these images constitute child pornography because the Web sites feature only images of the boys when they're not actually playing and often crop images to focus on their swimsuits and genitals.
Under the Child Online Protection Act, any images of children 12 or younger have to be taken down, but these photographers know that high-school-age kids are older than 13, and that there is not much legally that can be done to stop them from posting." "Federal child pornography laws apply if a child is under 18, if there is nudity, sex or mock sex, if there is a focus on the genitalia, or if the images are intended to promote lewd and lascivious acts. "We have a huge problem with both gay and heterosexual predators attending sporting events and taking pictures of athletes and cheerleaders," said Parry Aftab, an Internet privacy and security lawyer and executive director of WiredSafety. In general, lawyers told, photos taken in public of minors older than 13 and that are not considered graphic are allowed to be posted online without obtaining permission. The incident raises questions about individuals' privacy when their pictures are taken in public. The faces of the boys are not obscured and the names of their high schools are often easily read on their caps and swimsuits.
Parents say images appeared on at least five sites and included pictures of boys from several local schools, some as young as 14. These kids just want to play water polo." "The thing that is so frightening about it is the hopeless feeling the boys have and that there is nothing we can do. PUBERTY begins in the brain, with the hypothalamus and pituitary glands releasing hormones that trip the “on” switch of a much bigger cascade."I was totally shocked when I first saw the pictures of the boys online," said Verloop, whose son attends Foothill High School in Pleasanton, Calif. Decoding Boys, © Dr Cara Natterson, (Yellow Kite, £14.99) is out now.Talk to your son about who else he can go to for advice.Īnd finally, when you make the wrong call, set the wrong rule or react in the wrong way, take ownership, apologise, and then give yourself another chance. In order to win at parenting through puberty, have many talks over many years, and take them slowly.Īlso, find your surrogate. Every time you make a blanket statement, follow it with a short explanation of why. Use other people’s behaviour – both good and bad – as illustrations. Sitting inside the car on a drive is an ideal place for this. Not seeing one another can open the floodgates. Grab a “teachable” moment and turn off devices.Īvoid eye contact, at least in the beginning. When lads are ready to talk, be sure to listen, and ask questions too. TO get the conversation going, take any discomfort you may feel about any of the subjects looked at here and multiply by 100 to understand how uncomfortable your son feels.