Warning for parents after students' nude photos leaked online

Expert: Your digital thumbprint can last a lifetime

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A social media expert is offering a warning for parents in the wake of two News4Jax stories regarding strangers posting nude photos of young people to Snapchat.

A St. Johns County man is accused of blackmailing a young girl with a nude photo after deputies said he threatened to post it online unless she sent him a nude video via Snapchat. Kameron McGauley, 18, was charged with extortion.

News4Jax visited his listed address. No one answered the door.

Meanwhile, the Nassau County Sheriff's Office is investigating after a separate Snapchat account appears to be spreading nude photos of middle and high school age students.

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Social media consultant Dwann Rollinson wants parents to know Snapchat erases photos, should the user choose, after they've been sent, which makes the app a venue for sending inappropriate photos. 

"When it comes to Snapchat, if it doesn't feel right, it's normally not right," Rollinson said. "One of the misconceptions is that because it disappears, you won't get in trouble. Because it disappears, the cops won't find out, educators won't find out."

Robinson pointed out that others can also take a screenshot of the photo to keep for themselves. In addition to monitoring their children's social media accounts, she's reminding parents that nothing truly disappears.

"Parents have to remember to tell their children that their digital thumbprint lasts a lifetime," Rollinson said. "And when it's time to find out information, legal authorities can begin to really use Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram -- all those things against them."