January 22, 2008 | Sex & Society

Water polo pics spark online controversy

Dozens of photographs of high school athletes have become the center of controversy across the US. The images -- candid photos of members of a water polo team -- appeared on at least five "gay-oriented" websites.

Some of the boys are reported to be as young as 14, with their pictures juxtaposed next to images of nude or semi-nude young men and other sexual content. 

Police at the University of California, where some of the photographs were taken during a series of games, confirmed they are investigating whether a campus police dispatcher was responsible for the pictures. The man has not been charged.

"I feel my life wasn't respected as it should," one player said. [more]

According to Assemblyman Cameron Smyth there is little recourse at this time. "Based on our research, we have found it's very hard to regulate images on the Internet," he said.

Assemblyman Jose Solorio added, "With free speech and photography, there's a gray cloud in terms of what is legal, constitutional."

We think it's primarily an issue of respect. Candid photos of adult athletes can be hot, but young people must be allowed to have fun and compete in sports without having to worry about their images being misused on the Web.