Teen charged for 'catfishing' 130+ students

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Friday, May 12, 2017
Teen charged for 'catfishing' 130+ students
A high school senior is accused of impersonating a teenage girl to get male students to send him compromising pictures of them.

MEDIA, Pennsylvania (KTRK) -- A high school senior is accused of impersonating a teenage girl to get male students to send him compromising pictures of them.



Felony charges were announced Thursday against 18-year-old Derrick Jones. Those charges include possession of child pornography, harassment, and stalking.



Authorities say Jones used stolen photos of a real teen to pose as a girl online to get explicit photos and videos from other teens.



In all, he's accused of catfishing 137 male students.



The county's district attorney says Jones actually blackmailed some of the students into sending more images by threatening to publicize the ones already in his possession.



"Do not send these type of pictures to anybody out there," said Delaware County District Attorney, Jack Whelan.



A judge set $50,000 bail for Jones.



The DA urges parents to have serious discussions with their children and to monitor their use of social media.



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