Officials Warn Of Consequences After Middle Schoolers’ Sexual Encounter Is Recorded

Police are investigating a sexual encounter between two middle school students on a school bus and have a warning for kids and parents.

Tulsa Police said if the act was consensual, they won't face charges, but the kid who videotaped it could. 

Tulsa County prosecutors said they're seeing more and more cases involving minors and sexual acts being posted online. They want parents and kids to know, not only could this follow them forever, it's also illegal. 

"There's no doubt the incident occurred, the question is whether it was consensual or nonconsensual," said Sgt. Mark Kraft.

Tulsa Police Sgt. Mark Kraft with the Child Crisis Unit said two students at Thoreau Demonstration Academy engaged in sexual behavior on a school bus last week and at least one other student under 15 recorded it on a cell phone.

Kraft said they're still investigating if it was consensual but said the person who could get into real trouble is the one who taped it. 

"Any time you film an incident like that on your phone, it could be criminal," Kraft said.

"You have a criminal side; it is against the law to film a sexual act between two minors. That is possession or creation of child pornography," said Kenneth Elmore, who runs the District Attorney’s office Special Victims unit.

Elmore said he's seeing more and more cases of minors sending and receiving sexual pictures or sharing them to social media. He said it's something that could stay with them for life.

"This information can completely get away from someone and it can be sad, psychologically," said Elmore.

He urges people to think about their future before sending or sharing something inappropriate.

"If you send something out in the spur of the moment, you can't ever get that back," Elmore said.

Kraft said they're still investigating to see exactly what happened on the bus or who could be held responsible.

"Talk to your kids about what you're recording and the repercussions," he said. 

Tulsa Public Schools sent parents a letter saying they have taken appropriate action and are urging students and parents to speak up when they see something happen. You can read the full letter below.

Dear parents and families,

We are managing an incident involving Thoreau students engaged in inappropriate behavior of a sexual nature. We responded to the report of the situation immediately and have conducted an initial investigation. While we are not able to share details about individual students, I can tell you that we have taken appropriate disciplinary action and engaged the relevant authorities. As we continue to review this serious incident, we will determine any additional action needed to keep our students safe--immediately and in the longer term.

One of the strengths of our Thoreau community has always been that our school is a safe and supportive place for our students to learn and grow. Like many schools across the state and the country, we have experienced an escalation in student disciplinary issues this year. We are actively addressing conflicts and fighting as well as other student activity that is related to TikTok challenges, and we will follow up with additional communication about our continued work to ensure our school community remains a wonderful place to teach and learn.

We also need your help: it is critical for parents to talk with their children about the very real impact of the choices they make. This is true whether students are making the wrong choices themselves but is also true when they are a bystander. Incidences both serious and minor can be avoided when students speak up, and that can happen by speaking to a trusted adult at home or school as well as anonymously by calling our See.Hear.Share line 918-480-SAFE or visiting our website www.tulsaschools.org/safety.

Thank you for your partnership in keeping our school safe.