Porn viewed on school computer spurs worry

AMERICAN FORK — Forget the Playboy magazine lurking on a back closet shelf.

The fact that pornographic Web sites can be accessed anywhere, anytime — including in an elementary school computer lab — continues to worry professionals, police, parents and school officials.

Last week, American Fork police received information about two 11-year-old boys who through "trial and error" bypassed the Internet filter at Forbes Elementary School and pulled up a pornographic Web site during class.

They then told nine other fifth-grade students to come see the pornographic pictures, said American Fork Police Sgt. Gregg Ludlow.

"Two of these kids, separately, had gone into the principal, saying that they had seen this and that it had been quite troubling for them," Ludlow said.

The principal called Alpine School District officials and then the police, who opened an investigation.

After an initial review of the computers, officers learned that since the first incident on March 31, the boys had again tried to access the pornographic Web sites at school, Ludlow said.

The boys were suspended Thursday and Friday and are currently on spring break. They will return to class Monday, said Rhonda Bromley, school district spokeswoman.

The substitute teacher who was in the classroom has also been talked to and advised, Bromley said.

Consequences

Rhett McQuiston, captain of Utah Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, didn't fault the school for involving law enforcement, as every situation is different, but said harsh charges for the boys would be unusual.

"If an adult provided them with the images, I'd go after them pretty good," McQuiston said, "but if it's just a couple 11-year-olds looking at adult porn, we usually just give them a good tongue lashing and turn them over to their parents."

McQuiston said he normally gets involved when kids are caught with multiple images of child pornography and they're sending them to their buddies, especially if they involve an estranged girlfriend who attends the same school where the images are circulating.

"We don't actually have a policy about when to involve police," Bromley said. "But there are obvious situations where we feel it's necessary to keep the students safe."

Because the boys are only 11, any legal repercussions would come through the juvenile courts.