"Sexting" could mean child porn charges for dozens of teens

ROCHESTER, Mich. -- Prosecutors are reviewing evidence in a high school "sexting" scandal that could lead to criminal charges, CBS Detroit reports.

The investigation started in September after a student at Rochester Adams High School told school administrators that explicit content involving classmates was being shared via smartphones.

Investigators interviewed dozens of students and analyzed many of their cellphones before submitting their case to prosecutors, according to CBS Detroit.

The case includes as many as 31 students, all of whom are age 16 or younger.

CBS Detroit legal analyst Charlie Langton says there's no law specifically forbidding "sexting."

"But if one takes or is in possession of sexually explicit or naked pictures of someone under the age of 16, that is a crime," Langton said.

"It's a crime when you take the picture, it's a crime when you send the picture and it's a crime if someone else re-sends the picture," he added.

The prosecutor's office said they are waiting for more "forensic sources," which could result in the filing of felony child pornography charges -- although the students would likely be charged as juveniles.