'Federal child pornography laws apply if a child is under 18, if there is nudity, sex or mock sex, if there is a focus on the genitalia, or if the images are intended to promote lewd and lascivious acts. 'We have a huge problem with both gay and heterosexual predators attending sporting events and taking pictures of athletes and cheerleaders,' said Parry Aftab, an Internet privacy and security lawyer and executive director of WiredSafety. In general, lawyers told, photos taken in public of minors older than 13 and that are not considered graphic are allowed to be posted online without obtaining permission. The incident raises questions about individuals' privacy when their pictures are taken in public. The faces of the boys are not obscured and the names of their high schools are often easily read on their caps and swimsuits. Parents say images appeared on at least five sites and included pictures of boys from several local schools, some as young as 14. These kids just want to play water polo.'
'The thing that is so frightening about it is the hopeless feeling the boys have and that there is nothing we can do. 'I was totally shocked when I first saw the pictures of the boys online,' said Verloop, whose son attends Foothill High School in Pleasanton, Calif.
