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5-08-2025 12:11am
Dover Police, Superintendent of Dover-Sherborn Public Schools, Reveal that a Juvenile Court Case Involving a Student Sharing Explicit Photos Was Dismissed
Darlene Cancell
Editor
On Wednesday, May 7th, Dover Police Chief Joseph Vinci issued a statement in which he informed the community that in September 2024, Dover Police investigated a report from The Public Schools of Dover and Sherborn that male students had possessed, and one had shared, photos of minor girls, along with nude photos of unknown origin.
Elizabeth McCoy, Superintendent of the school district, stated in a May 7th letter to the community that a few middle school students are believed to have compiled from the internet digital photos of middle school and high school girls in the district. The incident occurred outside school hours and off school grounds, she said.
Chief Vinci said,"It was determined that one male juvenile student disseminated these photos of clothed students and included additional nude pictures of an unknown origin in these messages. The identities of the individuals in the explicit photos could not be determined." He revealed that that Norfolk County District Attorney's office pursued charges through the juvenile court system.
Superintendent McCoy noted that the case was presented by Dover Police but it was dismissed by a judge.
The superintendent said that over the past several months, the school district has consulted with behavioral health clinicians, legal counsel, and authorities on Civil Rights, and has hired an investigator to examine possible Title IX, Bullying and/or Code of Conduct violations.
"We take very seriously our responsibility to protect the safety and due process rights of every student in our schools," she wrote. "The District remains committed to supporting the students and families directly involved in this case. In order to protect their privacy and confidentiality, we cannot provide any additional details publicly about this matter."
Chief Vinci said, "I want to assure our community that we investigated this matter very seriously. Our Department placed a high premium on supporting the identified victims and prioritizing their well-being throughout. The Dover Police Department remains committed to the safety and dignity of all — especially our youth — and will continue to work closely with the schools and families to prevent and address any behavior that threatens that commitment."
