COSTA RICA NEWS – Two high school students were arrested Friday for publishing naked photographs of classmate on an internet website. The two arrested were 16 and 14 years of age, the victim 14.
According to the Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ), the case originated when the minor, of her own will, sent the pictures to her former boyfriend, who then, with the help of another friend, post the nude photos on a social media website.
The photos were posted with “the intention of degrading the girl,” said Gerald Campos, deputy director of the OIJ.
The pornographic images quickly spread over the internet, picked up by a pedophile website in Spain, who then quickly published and promoted the images, explained Campos.
“In the cyber world there are pedophiles who have computer programs to track these types of pictures,” said Campos.
In Costa Rica, the OIJ was alerted by the International Police (Interpol) of the images claiming the appearance of a Costa Rican teenager.
On investigation, the Computer Crimes Division (Sección de Delitos Informáticos) of the OIJ learned that the posted photos were real and originated from an email address in Santa Ana. “The information led us to a spefici email address used by the minors in Santa Ana. We were also able to located the minor being victimized,” esplained the Campos.
The two minors were arrested early Friday morning by the Juvenile Section of the OIJ. Confiscated as evidence were three computers, six cellular phones and several USB drivers that appeared to contain information related to the case and will be examined by police, explained the OIJ deputy director.
In Costa Rica, the Codigo Penal (Criminal Code) says that it is a crime for anyone “who displays, disseminates, distributes or finances, by any means, pornographic material of minors or possesses said material.”
The penalty ranges from four to eight years in prison. However, the Juvenile Act (Ley de Justicia Penal Juvenil) allows for alternatives to prison, which can only be determined at trial.
The youths were being held while the Fiscalia examines the evidence.
Campos said students should understand that these acts are a crime and warms parents to control what their children using the technology for.
Last week, legislator for the Movimiento Libertario, José Alfaro, introduced a bill to punish with prison anyone who publishes, without the express authorization, pictures of naked women with the intent to harm. The bill proposes the addition of a new article to the Penal Code, however, legal experts say the current law already provides penalties for such conduct.
Source: “Colegiales presos por publicar fotos de compañera desnuda“, La Nacion
