More than 1,000 people charged by police for sharing Facebook sex video

More than 1,000 young people in Denmark are being charged with sharing a video of two 15-year-olds having sex on Facebook – and could face a criminal record lasting 10 years.

The young people are accused of using Facebook Messenger to circulate the clip of the youngsters having sex, which police say could amount to distributing indecent images of children.

Police say 800 boys and 200 girls distributed the video, aged between 15 and 20.

Police said that some of the youngsters shared the video hundreds of times.

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Facebook notified American authorities who notified Europol, the European Union’s law enforcement agency.

Distributing sexual material involving people under the age of 18 has a maximum sentence of six years in jail in Denmark, but police have said that youngsters are likely to be fined or given a suspended sentence.

That would leave the young people with a criminal record lasting for up to 10 years.

Police inspector Lau Thygesen from North Zealand Policen said, ‘We have taken the case very seriously as it has major implications for those involved when such material is spread – and it must be stopped.’