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Almost Nine in 10 Sexted or Emailed Youth Photos Turn Up as Porn

4,402 views · Published 23 October 2012 · 0:56 · Indexed 19 October 2026

Channel: Slate · 2012 · Science & Technology

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A cautionary tale for sexters: If a young person shares a sexually explicit photo of herself or a peer, a new study says there's an 88 percent chance that it will eventually find its way into the wrong hands online.

Research from the Internet Watch Foundation shows that of 12,224 graphic images and videos posted over a four-week period, 10,776 were later found on "parasite" porn websites. The study notes that any digital image—including ones in texts and emails—immediately becomes vulnerable to theft once it's shared.

Victims cited in the research said they were devastated to find private photos posted online, and even more so when they realized there was nothing they could do. As the foundation's CEO put it, "We need young people to realize that once an image or a video has gone online, they may never be able to remove it entirely."

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