20 charged in South Jersey school sexting case

Twenty people are facing charges in a sexting case involving South Jersey high school and middle school students.

The Cape May County Prosecutor's Office said 19 juveniles and one adult have been charged with invasion of privacy in the sexting probe.

None of those charged were identified.

The investigation centered on students at Lower Cape May Regional High School and Richard M. Teitelman Middle School, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said the probe began in late April, after a female student told authorities that male students were exchanging text messages that contained naked photographs of a friend.

Investigators seized and analyzed 27 phones, officials said, and found numerous photos of nude and partially nude female students being shared among male students through social media and text messages.

The invasion of privacy charge carries a potential penalty of three to five years in prison for adults and up to two years in juvenile detention for youths.

Prosecutors called the prevalence of sexting among students a matter of concern and said the schools cooperated in the investigation.