Police say cyberbullying, sexting investigated at Warren Township High

Three male freshmen in Warren Township High School District 121 in Gurnee are being investigated in connection with cyberbullying and sexting of a female student, authorities said Thursday.

Lake County State's Attorney Mike Nerheim confirmed the juvenile division of his office has reviewed the case with Gurnee police and it has been determined to be appropriate for referral to juvenile court.

The official police paperwork needs to be filed with the state's attorney's office before the charges are determined, Nerheim said.

Charges against the students, all juveniles, have been referred for one count each of distribution of child pornography, a felony, Gurnee police Cmdr. Willie Meyer said.

The students have been released to their parents' supervision, Meyer said.

The victim and the students under investigation are freshmen at the district's O'Plaine Campus, Meyer said. The investigation continues and more referrals are expected, he added.

Other details were not disclosed. Neither police nor school authorities would discuss the nature of the actions, the time period involved or whether this was an isolated occurrence.

In a statement Thursday, District 121 Superintendent Mary Perry Bates said the district cooperated in the investigation.

“Because this is a student matter, we cannot provide you with any specifics; but we want to remind all of our Warren students about the dangers of cyberbullying and sexting, and to urge any student who is ever involved, affected, or even aware of similar behavior to speak to any staff member that they trust,” Bates said.

Meyer said children should report any explicit photos they receive to a trusted adult and preserve them for law enforcement.

Forwarding an illicit image is a crime, he added.