By Ann Marie Shambaugh
It’s been two years since a former Zionsville Community High School student sent personal photos of herself to someone she trusted, but those images recently resurfaced in a way she never imagined.
The ZCHS grad is one of a couple dozen current and former Zionsville students whose photos appeared on an anonymous online image board the first week of April. The photos range from nude images to headshots, according to police, who are trying to determine who posted the private photos online. The site features images of people from across the country.
“It’s definitely an invasion of privacy, and I do feel very violated,” said the ZCHS grad, 20, who wishes to remain anonymous because the photos are still online. “I sent those pictures to someone I was dating at the time in pure confidence they wouldn’t get duplicated or sent to anyone else.”
Her story is not unlike many of the others from Zionsville who suddenly found very personal photos available to the public. Zionsville Police Department Detective Josh Samuelson said that the people in the images knew they were being photographed and willingly shared the photos with others, although they never expected anyone else to see them.
Police are working to determine the ages of the people in photos at the time the photos were taken. If they were younger than 18 – which Samuelson believes some of them were – criminal charges could be filed.
“If we have any information that the ladies in the photographs are under 18 and the poster … knew that and still intended to post the image, then they would be subject to distribution of child pornography charges,” Samuelson said.
If the people in the images were 18 years or older at the time of the photograph and willingly shared it, criminal charges won’t apply, Samuelson said, even if the person being photographed never intended or expected to see it online.
That’s the case for the ZCHS grad, who said the photos were taken when she was 18 years old. She still intends to speak with police in hopes that information she provides can help catch the person who posted the photos online.
She also said she recognized many of the other girls on the site and believes that several of them were minors at the time of the photos.
The photos are still on the website, which is registered in Switzerland and therefore does not have to abide by U.S. laws, Samuelson said. The site contains images of people from across the country, and previous attempts by law enforcement agencies to shut down the site have failed, he said.
“We haven’t had any solid evidence to determine who specifically put the pictures on the site, and obviously we’d have to have the cooperation of the site to get information that would lead us to that,” Samuelson said. “These particular sites are not very cooperative.”
Samuelson also said that he had heard of cases where the site took down photos at the request of individuals, but not law enforcement. Police are encouraging anyone with information on this case and those affected to contact ZPD.
For the ZCHS grad, the consequences of a few clicks of a camera two years ago are ones she fears could be long lasting. She’s already changed her phone number – which was also posted on the site – and she’s worried that it may affect her future.
“If I’m trying to pursue a career and [potential employers]happen to stumble upon those pictures, that might hinder my success,” she said.
Ultimately, she is sharing her story with hopes that current high school students can avoid making the same mistake.
“At the time I didn’t really have an idea of the repercussions of sending pictures like that and what it would cause for me or my future,” she said. “It can cause problems and can come back to haunt you.”
Editor’s note: The name of the ZCHS grad was withheld to protect her privacy.
