North Bay PoliceNorth Bay Police are currently investigating the distribution of child pornography images that have been captured and shared among students who are pre-teens and teens at five North Bay intermediate and secondary schools.

Police say parents and guardians are encouraged to inform their children about the law and what is legally unacceptable.

They should remember that any sexually explicit photograph or video of a person under 18 years of age is child pornography, whether it is captured, saved, distributed or shared and it is against the law to do any of those.

Possessing, accessing, making, distributing and making available child pornography comes with a mandatory 90-day sentence under the Criminal Code of Canada.

Police say if you or someone you know has been negatively impacted by a self/peer exploitation incident, the website NeedHelpNow.ca  offers guidance on the steps you can take to get through it and #ChangeTheStory.

This social trend helps children and teens stop the spread of sexual pictures or videos and also provides support along the way.