Lawrence middle school boys charged in nude image catfishing case

Two Lawrence middle school boys face felony charges after prosecutors alleged they posed as a girl online, tricked an eighth-grader into sending a nude or partially nude image and then shared it with other students at Liberty Memorial Central Middle School. The case moved through Douglas County District Court this week.

Court records show the boys used the fake identity “Olivia” to text the boy images of a nude female while expressing romantic interest, pressuring him into sending a similar image of himself. His mother said he believed he was talking to a potential girlfriend and complied because he wanted the kind of special friendship other kids have.

The alleged victim is a minor with autism and Tourette syndrome, and his mother said he had already been bullied before the catfishing incident. She said the fallout left him traumatized and humiliated, especially after the school called her in and she learned what had happened. The boys are charged with sexual exploitation of a child and aggravated unlawful transmission of a visual depiction of a child, both felonies.

Under K.S.A. 21-5611, aggravated unlawful transmission of a visual depiction of a child is a severity level 9 person felony when someone knowingly transmits a nude depiction of an identifiable child age 12 to under 18 with intent to harass, embarrass, intimidate, defame, inflict harm or send it to more than one person, if the offender is under 19.

Discrimination and harassment based on disability are prohibited under district policy, and families should report safety concerns promptly for investigation and corrective action. The district maintains a safety tip line.

Bullying of youth with Tourette syndrome can include social aggression and electronic aggression, including cyberbullying through the internet or cell phones.