One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Charges May Be Filed In Big Bear Yearbook Photo Scandal
Photo by geocam20000 via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr
Big Bear's high school yearbook has cause more than the standard-issue humiliation when an image of 17-year-old boy seen in the background of a winter formal photo with his hands up a skirt of 15-year-old girl triggered a sex crime investigation and prompted a recall of yearbooks for possible possession of child pornography. Officials said based on the placement of the teen's hand, "there may have been sexual penetration."According to the Press-Enterprise, "the investigation into the photo of a case of a 17-year-old boy accused of a sex crime stemming from a photo in the Big Bear High School yearbook is complete and will be turned over to prosecutors for possible charges, a sheriff's detective said Monday."
The picture was called to the attention of administrators on June 10 after being spotted by some of the school's 838 students. A deputy was notified by a probation officer assigned to the school and since underage sex "falls under child abuse statutes, school and law enforcement personnel are mandated to report it."
"If someone tells us someone is having sex with a minor, it doesn't matter the age of the suspect, we're required by law to investigate," MacKay said. "As much as we know that teenagers go out and have sex, we can't just overlook it."
If the district attorney's office does decide to file charges it could mean a misdemeanor or felony, according to MacKay. The three outstanding yearbooks (because those students were out of town), must be turned in, as officials last week "threatened that anyone refusing to turn in the books could be charged with possession of child pornography."
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
