FAYETTE COUNTY, IOWA – Law enforcement in Fayette county, Iowa, conducted a number investigations into illegal drug and sexting activity and arrested at over half-a-dozen teens as a result.
Over the last two weeks the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office has been doing three separate on-going investigations involving students from North Fayette Valley High School, North Fayette Middle School and Starmont High School including sexting between students after law enforcement officials’ were notified of the incidents by parents and school officials.
At North Fayette Valley High School, three students were charged. A 16-year-old male for Harassment 3rd for possession and forwarding inappropriate photographs of a minor; a 15-year-old female for possession of a controlled substance and drug Paraphernalia; and 16-year-old female of West Union for possession and delivery of the controlled substance marijuana, a class “D” Felony, Sexual Exploitation of a minor, an aggravated misdemeanor and possession of drug paraphernalia.
At the North Fayette Middle School a 13-year-old male was charged with Invasion of privacy, a serious misdemeanor for taking a photograph of a student in the restroom without their knowledge.
At Starmont High School the following were charged:
A 15-year-old male was charged with Invasion of privacy, for taking an inappropriate photograph of a student without their knowledge and Harassment in the 3rd degree, simple misdemeanor.
A 15-year-old male was charged with Harassment in the 3rd degree.
A 15-year-old female for Invasion of privacy for taking an inappropriate photograph of a student without their knowledge and harassment in the 3rd degree.
Under Iowa Law of Harassment in the 3rd degree subsection (5) “ Disseminate, publishes, distributes, post or causes to disseminate, publish, distributed, or posted a photograph of film showing another person in a state of full or partial nudity or engaged in a sex act, knowing that the other person has not consented to the dissemination, publication, distribution, or posting. (A simple misdemeanor.)
Deputies are still continuing to investigate these incidents and are examining cell phones. More charges could be filed at a later date.
Sheriff Marty Fisher would like to remind parents and or guardians to monitor your children’s electronic devices, know what they are looking at and what kind of content they have on their phones. It is also important to communicate with your children so that they understand the consequences of these actions and that this kind of behavior is against the law and they can be criminally charged for such actions.
