ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — The St. Louis County Police Department is investigating after two students at Hazelwood Central High School were allegedly caught having sexual intercourse in a classroom.
According to the St. Louis County police, officers responded at 9:30 a.m. Thursday to Hazelwood Central for a call for an "indecent act."
Officers were told that two students, an 18-year-old woman and a 17-year-old boy, were caught having sexual intercourse in a classroom, police said. Students and a faculty member were in the classroom at the time of the incident.
Police said no arrests were made at the school.
A warrant was later made to the St. Louis County Counselor's Office with one count of first-degree sexual misconduct against the 18-year-old woman. The 17-year-old boy was also charged and was referred to the St. Louis County Family Court, police said.
No other information was made available regarding the incident.
Alum Aunyea Carpenter has two children at Hazelwood Central. She was shocked to hear the news from her kids.
"Through social media I learned there were more photos and pictures. The school did not notify me that anything happened. From my understanding, there is an investigation the teacher fell asleep in the class. I know it's embarrassing and I understand wanting to know the information before releasing it out, but as a parent, this should have been a conversation addressing the parents for the situation for us to be aware," she said.
This pushed Carpenter to have a conversation with her children.
That's an action Amy Robins with the Child Advocacy Center approves of.
Because this case involves a minor, the forensic services director reminds parents and students of the repercussions.
"In Missouri, it is both illegal to film, manufacture, posses or distribute child pornography. Just by having it is a crime itself and sharing that image is even a further increased penalty. Almost all of the charges are felonies," Robins said.
She admits they are working to change the verbiage of "child porn."
"As an advocate in the field we call it 'child sexual abuse material' since kids can’t actually consent to producing pornography themselves," Robins said.
Robins recommends having conversations with teens.
"They aren’t understanding the repercussions, it’s up to us as advocates and us as parents and community members for our kids to know the dangers," she said.
St. Louis County Police said this case is still under investigation.
"If additional information surfaces, additional charges may be sought," a police spokesperson said.
5 On Your Side has reached out for comment from Hazelwood Central High School, but the district declined to comment.
Safe Connections shared these tips for parents and youth:
Helping Teens Make Choices:
- Remember, your teen’s brain is still forming so it can be harder for them to remember the big picture and long-term consequences of decisions.
- Thrill-seeking behavior is normal in adolescence, however, parents are trying to help direct that energy into healthy pathways.
- With this in mind, try to stay supportive even if your teen makes a decision with painful consequences.
- Try to keep channels of communication open. For instance, you may choose to have a policy for more lenient discipline if they come to you with a problem vs. finding out about it another way.
- When you can, try to talk teens through the long-term impact of choices. (Try to be conversational and not lecturing) - for instance: “if you post something online, you lose control of it and other people can use it in harmful ways, even if that wasn’t your intent.”
- Ask, with genuine curiosity (not anger), about what led to these decisions to try to understand underlying issues that may be impacting your teen.
- When teens do make decisions that impact them negatively, try not to shame them (which fosters secrecy), instead offer support and try to use natural consequences to help change behavior.
- If a situation seems bigger than your teen can manage, consider talking to a professional to seek help.
Tips for Youth:
- It's normal to want to try new things, however, pause and think about possible risks or outcomes before you act.
- Pay attention to feelings of pressure and danger that come up around certain people- you may be getting some internal warnings about these situations.
- Be careful with social media – if you post embarrassing footage of your peers it might never go away or get into the wrong hands.
- Redistributing sexual content of other teens is legally considered distribution of child pornography and could bring criminal charges, with serious consequences.
- Online content can get a life of its own: you probably aren’t trying to ruin anyone else’s life, so don’t post embarrassing or negative things about other people online.
- If you feel like you are in over your head, find a safe adult to talk to about what’s happening.
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