Kamloops RCMP say they are investigating a number of youth throughout the community. This is after they were contacted by School District 73 staff when they learned about the alleged exchange of inappropriate material.
District Supt. Terry Sullivan says teachers and school workers learned of the material on Friday and very quickly made the decision to call police.
He says the investigation involves a number of students in high schools in the Kamloops-Thomson school district, not just in the City of Kamloops. He says they know the names of the students involved and have contacted their parents. He says all the parents are cooperating.
“The parents that we’ve talked to over the last couple of days, they understand the significance of this and the consequences,” says Sullivan. “So they’ve been very cooperative.”
Kamloops RCMP are still being quite vague as to what exactly happened, but Cpl. Cheryl Bush says investigators are considering a range of charges, which could include the production and distribution of child pornography, harassment and uttering threats.
Mounties say they can assure the community that they are working closely with the school district on this matter and that the safety of students is a priority.
As they are dealing with people under the age of 18, there may be some information they are not able to release to the public.
Police say the message to parents remains the same: that you need to be engaged with your children’s online and social media activities. This can lead to tough or uncomfortable conversations, but these conversations are critical. Cybertip.ca is a website that offers information to teens and parents about protecting yourself online.
– With files from The Canadian Press
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