Châteauguay police have launched a new campaign aimed at teens warning them of the many dangers of a growing phenomenon, sexting.
"SEXTING is PORN!" is targeting young people aged 12 to 17 in six high schools. The main goal is educate teenagers and raise their awareness with what could end up being a very serious problem.
"The sexting phenomenon is trivialized by young people and growing" police said.
Posters will be posted in the targeted schools, Collège Héritage de Châteauguay, Gabrielle-Roy, Howard S. Billings, Louis-Philippe-Paré, Marguerite-Bourgeois and Patriotes-de-Beauharnois, and officers with the socio-community section along with school staff and social workers will speak with the children.
Students wishing to meet afterwards can do so privately if they wish.
"With the advent of social networks, there is a risk that sex messages will be shared very rapidly among many contacts" police warn.
Another part of the campaign will have Châteauguay reminding citizens that the production, possession or distribution of child pornography and the non-consensual publication of intimate images are crimes.