Trumbull juvenile-court judges begin educational program on sexting

Staff report

WARREN

Judges Pamela Rintala and Sandra Stabile Harwood of Trumbull County Juvenile Court are working with several county schools to educate students about the dangers of sexting.

The schools have welcomed juvenile-court diversion officers to present information to students about the serious legal consequences of sexting.

The judges believe educating students can prevent and divert youths from entering the court system, the judges said in a news release. Cyberbullying and other social media issues also will be discussed.

Sexting refers to sending sexually explicit photographs involving minors via mobile phones. It’s an issue Gabe Wildman, assistant county prosecutor, alerted the public to in 2013, about 18 months after he was assigned by county Prosecutor Dennis Watkins to head up the prosecutor’s Child Porn and Cyber-Abuse Unit.

Wildman said at the time he had seen an “explosion of cases” in the previous 18 months and it was one reason the new prosecution unit had been formed.

Wildman said this week the problem has continued at about the same pace as in 2013.

The judges believe that having a conversation with students about these issues can help avoid decisions that can negatively affect their futures, the news release says.

Wildman, who prosecutes sexting charges in the juvenile and adult courts, said sexting is a second-degree felony, which could produce a sentence of between two and eight years in prison and a requirement for the adult person convicted to register as a sex offender for 25 years. The conviction could result in a year or more of confinement for juveniles, he said.

“We’ve had valedictorians, student athletes – generally good kids who have made mistakes,” Wildman said.

The judges ask that other schools interested in participating in the program call Jolene Calderone at the juvenile court at 330-675-2361.