WARSAW, Ky. — Amid multiple investigations into Gallatin County students allegedly sharing nude photos of other kids, one woman decided to share her family's story.
After we published a story about the alert from Gallatin County Sheriff Robert Webster telling parents that the community has been hit with a "rash" of incidents involving nude photos of kids being shared by students, we received a message from a woman who said her son was a victim.
We have kept the mother's identity anonymous for her and her son's safety and privacy.
She said a fellow student shared a nude photo of her son and even posted it online.
"There was a picture that was sent out, and the picture got distributed to everybody in the school," the mother said. "It was posted all over the social media, text message."
The mother alleges that the student responsible had "catfished" her son.
Watch our interview with this Gallatin County mother as she shares her family's painful experience and call for justice:
"It made me feel really sad cause the person who did (it) he considered a friend," she said.
"Is it accurate to say your son was a victim of sextortion?" we asked.
"Yes," she replied.
She recounted the moment she found out something was wrong.
"When I got to the school, they said that he had talked about taking his life in the bathroom. So I had to go and calm him down from that," she said.
We sat down with Gallatin County Commonwealth's Attorney Grant Axon, who told me that there are investigations into several different incidents.
"We currently have about seven children, high school-aged children, who are involved in that situation where photos of numerous girls have been shared," Axon said.
Axon told us that the kids involved, both alleged perpetrators and victims, range from 12 to 17 years old.
"We are downloading cellphones of all of those involved, to try to get a better grasp and handle on who's sending what, for what purpose," Axon said.
Axon forwarded me an email sent out to parents by Gallatin County's Superintendent David Arvin, with recommendations on how to keep kids safe and warnings on the severity of consequences.
We spoke to the superintendent over the phone, who said his district has yearly presentations to students about the dangers of sexting. He said those presentations take place within the first two weeks of the school year.
"I think what happens is a lot of these children don't realize the long-term effects of what's going on," Axon said.
The worried mother told us she's looking for accountability.
"I want justice for my child," she said.
Axon told us that the mother has recently been in contact with the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office.
