Boy’s police ordeal after girl posted naked selfie to him

A TEENAGE boy’s mother was threatened with arrest when she refused to let him accept a caution for forwarding a naked selfie a girl had sent to him.

The woman spent seven months battling Leicestershire Police after officers raided her home and arrested her 13-year-old son.

A custody sergeant refused to admit the boy to a cell because he was inconsolable.

Investigators later revealed he was suspected of distributing ‘indecent images of children’ after the girl sent him the unsolicited photo. Police wanted him to accept a youth caution but his mother refused, fearing it could harm his career when disclosed in any future vetting procedure.

Campaigners are calling for police to strike a better balance by investigating sexting complaints without ‘ blighting the future’ of those involved.

Describing the arrest of her son, now 15, the woman said three police cars arrived outside.

She said: ‘The arresting officer … wouldn’t tell me anything. I said, “What has he done? He is only 13”.’ It was just, “I am arresting you on suspicion of possession and distributing indecent images of a child”. I was in shock.’

The police confiscated mobile phones, a laptop, table and iPod and took the boy away in a patrol car before he was sent home by the custody sergeant.

The family from Leicestershire, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said they were then told the allegations involved a naked selfie. The woman added that a ‘slightly older’ girl had sent it.

Her son ‘ blocked’ her online, leading to a friend asking why. He then forwarded the image. ‘They wouldn’t tell me anything … it was very much guilty until proven innocent,’ the mother told the BBC.

‘I think in my head I thought someone is going to come and say, “I’m really sorry this has been blown totally out of proportion. We realise it is kids being kids.”’

Instead police insisted he accept a youth caution. The woman claims that at one stage she was threatened with arrest for ‘obstruction’ when she refused.

The mother added: ‘They really did play it down, [saying] “It’s just a caution, when he’s 18 you won’t see it again because it’s a youth caution, he’s not got to tell anyone” … When I questioned them it was, “Oh yeah, but he can explain what is for”.

‘To me, something like possessing and distributing indecent images … I don’t think you would get very far explaining that.’

Seven months later the original officer in the case delivered a letter saying there would be no further action. ‘Luckily it did end up as nothing but it could so easily have been the other way as a caution or prosecution,’ the mother said.

An NSPCC spokesman said: ‘In line with Home Office guidance, in the majority of cases police should treat this as a safeguarding issue … not by landing the child with a criminal record that could blight their future.’

Leicestershire Police said the family have not complained about their treatment. A spokesman said the force took ‘appropriate, proportionate and necessary action’.

Javed Khan, of Barnardo’s, urged police to ‘respond proportionately’, noting that officers have discretion not to pursue cautions or prosecutions.