Nova Scotia teens accused of sharing intimate images have complex case put over

The Crown attorney prosecuting six Bridgewater-areaboys accused of sharing intimate images of girls says the justice system and law enforcement are playing "a bit ofcatch up" to emergingissues involving young people andonline privacy.

The case against the two 18yearolds and four 15yearolds was in Bridgewater youth court Wednesday, but has been put over until Oct. 19. Their identities are banned from publication.

"I don't believe this conduct, in and of itself, is new," Crown attorney Peter Dostal said outside the courtroom. "However, I think that it's only in recent years that we've begun catching up on investigative techniques and tools."

The teens are charged with distributing intimate images without consent, and possession and distribution of child pornography, following a yearlong investigation.

The case is one of the first tests, involving youth, of Canada's new law to combat illegal sharing of images. Police have said pictures of 20 teenage girls were circulated after allegedly being shared without consent in a Dropbox account.

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6 accused with 6 lawyers makes for a complex case

Defence attorneyAlan Ferriersaid the defence has a "number of issues with the Crown, procedurally" in terms of disclosure of evidence.

Both sides needmore time to review theelectronic disclosure, mostly evidence from electronic devices.Ferrier said everyone involvedwants to get the case moving along quickly.

"So there's already a delay issue that is of concern to everybody because we're dealing with young people and their concepts of time are completely different than adults and we all recognize it," he said.

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Dostal, who works in the office of special prosecutions, acknowledged that six accused and six defence lawyers creates complexity in the case.

He also commended all who came forward to speak about the issue.

"I think most concerning for us at this stage is the extent of the distribution that had been going on and the risks that arise from that mass distribution It could have very dire impact on many, many people," he said.

We've 'failed as a society'

Ferriersaid the sharing of intimate images is a "societal" and "educational problem."

"We've kind of failed as a society We've all kind of failed in educating our young people of the consequences of their behaviours," he said.

The investigation began after the principal of Bridgewater Junior Senior High School contacted police in May 2015. Several students were suspended at the time over the images.

A new section of the Criminal Code allows prosecutions involving a wider range of intimate images, such as breasts, than traditional child pornography laws.

That law was brought in inthe aftermath of the death of Rehtaeh Parsons and other high-profile cases.

Parsons, 17,attempted suicide and was taken off life support after a digital photo of what her family says was a sexual assault was circulated among students at her school in Cole Harbour, N.S.