Four teenage boys have been charged with serious sexual assault offences.

A 16-year-old was charged with two counts of sexual penetration of a child over 13 and under 16 years old.

Another 16-year-old and a 15-year-old were charged with one count.

A fourth teenager, aged 16, was charged with possessing child pornography after allegedly possessing the images.

The charges have shocked many, and has raised concerns about the growing trend of teenagers taking, receiving or sending sexual images.

A former high school chaplain of 20 years urged parents to speak with their children about the issue and potential consequences.

Gary Butcher, creator of the Choose Respect initiative, said this would help teenagers avoid making wrong decisions.

“There is no way to look over a teenager’s shoulder 24/7…I would be encouraging parents to develop their relationship with their children so that it’s a constructive, open relationship,” he said.

Mr Butcher said sexting was a new issue that parents would not have experienced themselves in school and needed to be aware of.

“The scary thing is young people are unaware of the legal ramifications,” he said.

Teenagers who send images of people under the age of 18 – even if they too are under that age – may be committing a crime, even if all participants are willing.

They are at risk of child pornography charges and can also be placed on the child sex register, which can affect future employment and travel options.

It is not the first time concerns over the growing use of teenagers recording incidents on mobile phones has been raised in Bunbury.

In November 2008 a violent video of two fights between four Newton Moore Senior High School students was uploaded to video sharing website YouTube.

It was viewed almost 900 times before it was removed three months later due to public condemnation.

Across the country the number of teenagers sexting is on the rise, with New South Wales recording a 5.5 per cent increase over the past two years.

That State’s education department has encouraged parents to inspect their children’s mobile phones and internet profiles for cases of sexting.

The Federal Government has launched a video on youtube to make teenagers aware of the ramifications of sexting.

For more information about the issue visit the Cyber Smart website www.cybersmart.gov.au

**Have your been a victim of sexting, or have concerns about the practice. Tell us your story.