The app on a teen’s cellphone may look like a calculator or clock, but naked photos of classmates can lurk beneath the innocent-looking icon, images that require a passcode to access, said Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan.

The frequency with which children as young as 9 or 10 are exchanging and hiding racy photos – part of a growing trend called sexting – is alarming, said Hogan. “Every year, there are some kids who commit suicide because of sexting and cyber-bullying,” he said.

On Thursday, Nov. 12, Hogan held a press conference to discuss the magnitude of the problem. Joined by Chester County Detective Joe Walton, Tredyffrin Township Police Superintendent Anthony Giaimo and Assistant District Attorney Cindy Morgan, Hogan used a recent case in the Tredyffrin-Easttown School District as a springboard for discussion.

Hogan stressed that no school district is immune from the practice. Somewhere in Chester County, students are probably sexting right now, Hogan said, adding that the photos and videos can become weapons of cyber-bullying. Walton estimated that detectives have investigated 30 to 50 cases this past year alone.

The first school-related case in Chester County occurred in 2005, Hogan said. The increase since then "tracks the evolution of technology," as more students have all the resources they need to create and edit photographs and videos, he explained.

Hogan said the Tredyffrin incident, which began in the spring at the Valley Forge Middle School, typified how sexting can escalate. He said a middle-school boy pressured his then-girlfriend to send him some sexy, revealing photos. The girl eventually relented, but then the couple broke up and she started seeing another guy, Hogan said.

“Boyfriend No. 1 is mad; he’s angry,” said Hogan. “He takes those photos he promised to destroy and sends them downstream to male friends.”

Before long, the friends were waging a cyber attack on the girl, labeling her a whore and slut online, Hogan said. They even morphed the girl’s face onto an image depicting an adult couple engaged in a sex act and distributed it, Hogan said.

By the time the investigation concluded, some of the participants had entered high school, and four boys ranging in age from 11 to 15 faced charges, which were handled in the juvenile system, Hogan said. The offenses ranged from sexting, a summary offense when teens share images consensually, to more serious charges such as harassment and illegal use of a communications facility.

Hogan suggested that parents have a conversation with their children about the trend and the damage it can do. “These images last forever, and they can haunt you for the rest of your life,” he said, pointing out that many colleges and employers monitor social media sites.

Even when the technologically-savvy teens hide the photos, investigators can get access, he said. He recommended that parents Google “vault apps” to get an education on how risqué photos can be concealed. He said that checking children’s phones is not an invasion of privacy, but rather an effort to protect them from harm.

Some phone apps are now designed to help parents monitor their children’s apps, sending an alert when a new one is downloaded. Hogan said apps such as the iPhone's Ask to Buy are useful tools for parents.

In the Tredyffrin case, Hogan said the victim was strong enough that she wanted to reach out and help others.

Morgan read a statement from the girl in which she urged others not to be victimized. “If you are being bullied, don’t be afraid and don’t lose hope; you are stronger than you think,” she wrote. “Ask for help. There are people at school and at home who will help you.”

She also said her school should not be judged “because of a few people who did bad things. My school should be admired for the many awesome students and terrific teachers who are willing to stand up and do the right thing.”