Video showing the sexual abuse of an Indiana high school student has surfaced on social media, police said, and is being shared across internet sources, including Facebook Live.
La Porte High School administrators on Thursday afternoon alerted authorities that they were informed of the video and its existence online, the La Porte County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.
The sheriff's office issued a warning that anyone who sees or shares the video may be guilty of "possession and/or dissemination of child pornography, a serious crime and punishable as a felony offense."
Investigators said this may be "one of the worst cases of 'sex-extortion' to be investigated in this area."
The sheriff's office said it immediately began investigating the matter, and the school sent robo-calls to parents informing them about the investigation.
La Porte County Prosecuting Attorney John Espar said the newly formed Internet Crimes Against Children Unit was mobilized and the FBI and Indiana ICAC Task Force were alerted.
Espar said initial efforts were directed at first "stemming further distribution of the images" and then launching a high-tech investigation to trace the origins of the video and who is responsible for producing it.
Law enforcement officials urged everyone to refrain "from jumping to conclusions in the matter and avoid the kind of speculation that can only further victimize the family and impede the investigation."
Representatives from La Porte High School and the school district declined comment Friday morning.
