Note: we are republishing this story which originally made the news in May 2016.
An Arizona high school student was charged with dozens of criminal charges after school officials discovered that he had exposed his penis in a football team photo.
According to CBS News, 19-year-old Hunter Osborn was charged with 69 misdemeanor counts of indecent exposure and one felony count of furnishing harmful items to minors after he exposed his penis in a photo with his football team at Red Mountain High School in Mesa, Arizona.
Det. Steve Berry of the Mesa Police Department says that the number of charges was reached because there were 69 students present when the photo was taken, as well as 10 faculty members. The students range in age from 15-1 and if individuals in the photo are older than 18 and choose not to press charges, the number of charges can be reduced.
“It is still an ongoing investigation,” Berry said. “The number of charges may go up or down depending upon how the investigation continues.”
The team photo features Osborn among his football team, with two teammates in front of him appearing to leave just enough space for him to expose himself. Several students told CBS News affiliate KPHO that they didn’t even notice that Osborn was exposing himself in the photo until it was pointed out by adults and the controversy arose.
“He made a dumb mistake a little bit, but I don’t think he should be charged so heavily for that,” said high school senior Zach Anthony.
The photo was printed in the school’s yearbook, which was sent out to 3,400 students, and in the school’s football program, before anyone noticed that Osborn had exposed himself.
Osborn reportedly exposed himself in the photo after being dared to by a teammate.
19-year-old Hunter Osborn circled among his teammates in a group football team photo, Photo Credit: KPHO via CBS News
According to the Atlantic, a Change.org petition was launched to have charges against Osborn dropped.
“He didn’t put the picture in the yearbook, he didn’t create the page, he wasn’t the editor that approved it, or the teacher responsible for publishing it and distributing it to students,” the petition states, according to the Atlantic. “The teacher responsible for the yearbook should be fired. Red Mountain High School is using him as a scapegoat instead of taking any responsibility!”
A neighbor of Osborn’s told KPHO that he hopes the teen’s life is not permanently affected by the incident.
“I hope that something can be done so that this doesn’t ruin his life, his career,” Osborn’s neighbor said. “He’s been a good neighbor. He doesn’t go out and party all the time. He has a job that he works at; he’s punctual. He gets up and goes to school every morning. He gets up on Sunday and goes to church. I really feel for the guy.”
The school district released a statement regarding the incident while the investigation was ongoing.
“The district is dismayed by the actions of the students involved in the photograph. Their behavior does not reflect the values of Red Mountain High School or Mesa Public Schools,” the statement from Mesa Public Schools reads. “Upon learning of the photograph, school administration immediately contacted police and is cooperating fully with the investigation. Disciplinary action will follow policy and may be based on the outcome of the police investigation… While the small size of the photograph as published makes the details difficult to discern, the yearbook has been recalled so the school can make a minor but critical edit for the inappropriate content.”
Eventually, all charges against Osborn were dropped after all students and staff members present during the photo shoot, who were considered “victims” during the investigation, declined to press charges.
