COEUR d'ALENE - Sexting happens every day in Idaho schools, reports the state attorney general's office in its most recent publication on Internet safety for children.

Sexting is the practice of sending nude or semi-nude photos by cell phone.

Deanne Clifford, principal of Lake City High School in the Coeur d'Alene School District, told The Press that school administrators there have dealt with students who have engaged in sexting.

"It is amazing what students will say to each other over social media and texting that they will not say to each other face-to-face," Clifford said. "We have referred a small number of incidents to law enforcement when they are graphic, video or picture texts, because of pornography issues. Very few though."

The district's 2008 decision to ban student cell phone usage in schools during the school day has minimized sexting incidents on campus, Clifford said, but the practice still takes place.

An incident occurred two weeks ago in the St. Maries School District.

"We've had it happen twice involving four students in the last two years," St. Maries High School Principal John Cordell told the St. Maries Gazette. "It's also happened at the junior high recently."

Cordell told the Gazette it's likely students don't realize the gravity of sending sexually explicit text messages, and urged parents to be aware of the practice and check their phone bills for unusual activity.

Coeur d'Alene Police Sgt. Christie Wood said her department has received several school sexting cases in the past few years.

"They are investigated like any other sex crime case," Wood said. "They are investigated and sent to the prosecutor's office for charges if warranted."

Kootenai County Prosecutor Barry McHugh said possible charges stemming from sexting could include disturbing the peace, telephone harassment, and possession and distribution of child pornography.

"Some of the statutes really depend on the circumstances and the content of the message sent," McHugh said.

A child engaged in sexting in Idaho could be prosecuted for child pornography, a felony charge which carries with it, if the pornography is for noncommercial purposes, a penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

The Idaho attorney general's office advises that a child convicted of sending or possessing sexually explicit images of children would be required to register as a sex offender for life.

There are other consequences outside the courts that the attorney general's office urges parents to bring to their children's attention.

"Make sure they understand that once they send the picture, they've lost control of it and can never get it back," the agency warns.

Kids should be reminded that anyone they send nude images to can forward them to other people, and they can end up on the Internet. Children whose photos are sent to other children can become the target of gossip and bullying.

The pictures can cause problems years after they were sent, when it's time for an individual to get a job or get into college.

"Some kids have lost scholarships when a college has done a background check and found these pictures online," cautions the attorney general's office.