First, you must have a good relationship with your son if he confessed to you. It's easy to make huge mistakes, much harder to face up to them. You are both on the right track in trying to solve this.

Next, if you haven't deleted the picture, do it now. Call the phone company and find out how to destroy the phone's memory. An assistant principal in Loudon County Virginia was told by his boss to keep a copy of a sext as evidence against the kids concerned. That copy was not used against the kids, it was used against the assistant principal. He was charged with possession of child pornography. It cost him $150,000 in legal fees.

Next, the parents need to know what is happening because it could cost them even more money paying to defend their kid against felony charges in adult court. These cases are not being litigated in juvenile court. Kids are being charged as adults. Kids have been charged with distributing child pornography, possession of child pornography, lewd behavior, all felonies.

Conviction as a felon means never getting a decent job, never being allowed to vote. It basically ends a kid's life before it ever starts. The kids need to understand that once apicture is out there, they have no control over where it goes. They should never send a text that they don't want every kid, teacher, principal and parent in the school to see by the end of the next day.

I cannot tell you the number of sexts that I have heard of and have been unable to do anything about them because I didn't know who the kid was and the other kids wouldn't tell me. They think they're protecting their friends by keeping the identity secret but they have no problem with sending them on to other kids.

It is time for serious talks with the parents of that kid because parents own the phones and can be  held responsible for the willful misconduct of their children. If the kid forwarded it, and he probably did, then he has both possessed and distributed child pornography, both felonies. Those parents are at risk and they have no idea. You need to insist that he tell his parents. Give him a deadline and let him know that his parents deserve to know that they are facing huge legal fees and public humiliation so the kid needs to keep the humiliation inside the family and take responsibility for his actions. If he doesn't tell by, say, the end of the next day, you will tell. Offer to help him by being there. Maybe a clergy person could help him. Do not tell a school counselor - they are required to report crimes against children, and that's exactly what this is. The kid needs to stop puttiing his friends and family at such profound risk.