San Jose police cited a 17-year-old high school student on Monday for distribution of child pornography after he made a series of Instagram posts, police said.
The student at Lincoln High School at 555 Dana Ave. had started an Instagram account soliciting and posting nude photos of underage girls, including girls at the school, and calling them derogatory names, according to police.
Investigators found the student and cited him for distribution of child pornography. Police did not release his name and have not said if there are more suspects involved in the case.
Student Grace Candelaria said several of her friends at Lincoln High are hurt and angry after their pictures show up online without their permission.
"They were posting nude photos of people" Candelaria said. "And pictures of girls and guys too."
Candelaria said whoever created the Instagram account also stole innocent pictures from her friends' Facebook pages and reposted them with what she describes as hateful captions.
"It was really bad," she said. "I ended up blocking it and reporting it because it was gross."
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In an email to parents on Monday, Lincoln principal Matthew Hewitson said the school had been in touch with Instagram about the account and the company took down several pages. Hewitson asked parents to advise their children on appropriate use of social media and to monitor their online use.
"Please use this situation as an opportunity to have a conversation with your child tonight about how to keep their online interactions safe, productive and positive," Hewitson wrote.
Candelaria's mother, Norma, calls the incident a wake up call that inspired her to have an honest and difficult conversation with her daughter.
The Instagram page has been blocked and Candelaria said in its place her friends have created a new account for Lincoln students where the captions are supportive and loving.
"It really brought everyone together," Candelaria said. "And everyone felt loved again."
Bay City News contributed to this report.
