Henderson cop’s nonprofit educates youths about sexting

This might be news for many adults, but chances are, their teenage children already know: Sexting no longer involves only sexually explicit text messages, despite what the term may suggest.

"With teens, their definition of sexting is sending nudies," said Chris Holman, co-founder of the nonprofit Sm@rtConnections. "They're actually sending nude pictures."

Holman's organization, which got up and running in 2014, aims to educate adults and children about the potential pitfalls of social media, with the main focus on sexting. The Henderson resident does speaking engagements about the topic at junior and high schools around the Las Vegas Valley, but he plans to start focusing more on junior high schools, he said.

"It's happening more there," said Holman, a Henderson police officer who worked with the department's computer crimes unit for six years before transferring to its community relations bureau. "They're getting more independence; they're getting the technology; hormones are starting to kick in; they're starting with dating; the peer pressure starts."

Holman also was on an Internet Crimes Against Children task force and the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, both of which inspired him to start Sm@rtConnections.

"We started seeing more and more self-produced child pornography," he said. "Parents who found out were shocked. They didn't even know about the apps or social media they (their kids) were using."

Sexting is against the law under Nevada statute 20737, forbidding minors from possessing or distributing images of sexual activity or suggestive nudity involving children. Holman said it is relatively prevalent in the valley, adding that most students with whom he speaks about it raise their hands when asked if they have known someone who has taken part in it.

"Every speaking engagement I go to, the hands are up," he said. "I would say about 90 percent are up."

Sgt. Ray Spencer of the Metropolitan Police Department, who oversees the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force's Nevada operations, also attested to its popularity.

"I would say, when you're talking to the 13- to 17- (year-old) demographic, it's extremely common," he said.

Most teens use Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat on their mobile devices, Holman said. Some also use lesser known, more anonymous social apps such as Omegle and Kik, Spencer said. Omegle offers a video chat and texting platform and does not require users to register, while Kik allows texting and photo sharing, with users required to regster only a user name.

"You chat and communicate with strangers all over the world," he said.

Spencer and Holman said one of the main concerns regarding sexting is how widely the images can be distributed electronically and the consequences that might have.

"What happens is, that picture is shown all over school," Spencer said. "Once that picture is out there on a digital platform, it never goes away. It's extremely difficult for the children after circumstances like that where people have seen photos of them."

To help raise awareness of such issues, Spencer offers a free presentation around the valley called The Dark Side of Social Media, which is aimed at educating adults.

"Chris is actually picking up a good chunk of the workload to focus on kids," he said.

Holman said adults should make sure their children are educated about using social media vigilantly and responsibly before giving them access to mobile devices.

"I compare it to a driver's license," he said. "You're not going to just hand the keys to the kid and say, 'Go have fun; be safe.' But we do that with an iPhone; we do that with an iPad."

Holman was scheduled to speak Sept. 22 at Doral Academy, 9625 W. Saddle Ave., and Sept. 24 at the Adelson Educational Campus, 9700 Hillpointe Road.

Adelson head of middle school Robert Blackwell said Holman would help give middle school students a more well-rounded knowledge of social media.

"Primarily, we understand that social media, in the sense of how it could be used, there are many positives, and we definitely don't want to scare them away from using these resources," he said. "We want to make sure they are aware of the harmful effects of it, and we want to protect them and educate them about those harmful effects."

In addition to speaking engagements, Holman also distributes literature about social media safety at community events.

"My goal is to spark just enough interest that they'll go to my website, go to my Facebook, or they'll invite me to speak," he said.

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— To reach Henderson View reporter Cassandra Keenan, email ckeenan@viewnews.com or call 702-383-0278. Find her on Twitter: @CassandraKNews.