New bill would add 'sexting' to sex ed classes in Illinois

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois (KTRK) -- Lawmakers in Illinois are proposing a bill that calls for schools to add sexting to their sex education classes.

RELATED: Study finds 1 in 7 teens are sexting

The proposal would affect students from 6th through 12th grade.

"What's posted online can stay there forever," said Dr. Bill Moredock, principal of Little Flower School. "That's part of the educating kids in 6th, 7th grade and high school. Once it's there, there's no erasing it."

Dr. Moredock said his school has been teaching this for years.

"It's important because social media, internet use is such a big important part of our students' lives," Dr. Moredock said.

He added that sometimes children can get pictures without even meaning to.

"Adults are getting kind of savvy about how they sometimes prey on kids in terms of setting up these, what look to be, child-friendly, innocuous apps," Dr. Moredock said. "But what they do, they're sly and they send in these messages that just come in out of nowhere."

According to a study by the American Medical Association, 15 percent of teenagers said they've sent a sexual text, with nearly 30 percent saying they've received one.