State police investigate video sharing at Taos High

New Mexico State Police is handling the investigation which involves a number of students who allegedly shared a sexually explicit video of a female student. Charges could range from misdemeanors to felonies pending the results of the ongoing investigation. State police picked up the investigation after Taos Police determined no crime was committed at the time of the complaint.

"No charges have been filed," said State Police Lieutenant Mark Soriano. "This is still an active investigation and no information is available."

High school students nationwide have been affected by or participated in "sexting," sharing explicit images, video or words over cellphones. A 2018 study conducted by the Journal of the American Medical Association found sexting is an increasingly common trend among teens across the United States. The study also found that one in eight teens have forwarded or have had a "sext" forwarded without consent.

The Taos High School incident began in the fall of 2018, when a female student sent an explicit video to a male student she was in a relationship with via a private phone message. That message was then spread to a number of students via cellphones in January 2019, which resulted in the suspension of the girl who sent the original video, according to people familiar with the situation. It is unknown if any of the students involved in sharing the video were suspended or disciplined.

The girl was suspended due to violation of school policy, according to school officials.

According to the parents of the student who made the video, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, their child's suspension was served and the investigation is no longer focused around their daughter.

Taos Police Chief David Trujillo said his officers made an initial information report about the incident on Jan. 15.

"We made a determination that a crime had not yet been committed," said Trujillo in a recent interview. "As time went by and as the case developed, then a crime may have occurred."

At that point, Taos Police officials said they could only confirm the video had been shared between the girl and one other male student. However, prior to police involvement, the video was brought to the attention of the staff at Taos High School, which prompted the suspension of the student who made it.

State police then took over the case at the request of the girl's parents on Jan. 16 and discovered the video had been shared to other students.