I Didn't Know

Three-dimensional image of Internet safety zone. Zip the Internet safety police car zooms into the picture. Car door opens and camera zooms in on laptop screen in car. Camera zooms in to white screen.

Internet 101

Surfing safely

Naviguez en sécurité

Sound of car zooming in with siren.

Black text on white screen.

I Didn’t Know

Presented by Internet 101

Police and partners . . . working together to web-proof our communities.

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Voice of police officer: These days, everyone exchanges photographs and videos through the Internet.  It’s the in thing to do – and it’s getting more popular each day.

The Internet has become the quickest and best way to communicate with others and to exchange material.

However, sharing material like photographs and videos over the Internet must be done with great caution.

Photos depicting people under the age of 18 years engaged in explicit sexual activity could ultimately be considered child pornography material.

Let’s take a look at Michael’s story.

Close up drawing of hockey player.

Music begins (plays throughout presentation).

Camera pans out to show drawing of hockey player is a figurine in a 3D image of a hockey table.

Teenage boy’s voice (Michael, who speaks throughout presentation): My name is Michael. I'm 16 years old and hope one day to become a police officer. I attend the local high school in my neighborhood.

Camera continues to pan out and 3D hockey player moves on table.

I do well in school and I guess I'm pretty popular too. I'm on the hockey team and also the top scorer.

Figurines of hockey players pass puck, shoot it and puck flips towards camera, with words written on it.

I did not know…

About eight months ago, I did something that will affect me, for the rest of my life.

Close up of drawing of teenage boy (Michael) sitting at computer.

I've been chatting on the Internet for a few years now. I especially enjoyed chatting with Stephanie.

Camera pans out to show drawing of teenage girl (Stephanie). Drawings of Michael and Stephanie are shown as 3D figurines on hockey table.

She is a 16 year old girl who lives in another city. We shared a really special relationship. We truly trusted each other, so once in a while, we even shared some intimate moments on our webcams.

Stephanie even gave me permission to record some of these intimate shows, as long as I didn't show them to anyone else. This was very exciting.

Camera zooms out to show hockey table with figurines and puck.

One day I told my best friend David about what Stephanie and I were doing.

Michael figurine swings around, and camera swings around to show drawing of second teenage boy (David) as 3D figurine. Michael figurine passes puck to David.

He didn't believe me and asked that I show him some proof. Since he was my best friend, I sent him a few of our pictures and videos.

White text on black screen.

Fades to drawing of Michael. Drawing of police officer appears beside him.

I did not know…

About two months ago, I was at home one evening, and a police officer came knocking at my door. He had come to serve me with a summons to appear in court.

Police officer disappears and drawing of Michael’s parents appears instead, beside drawing of Michael.

My parents were there, and they didn't understand what was going on.

Drawing of parents disappears and drawings of Stephanie appear instead, beside drawing of Michael.

All drawings fade to black screen with white text.

I did not know…

I was being charged with making child pornography, and with distributing it.  I didn't know what was going on, and I didn't understand why this was happening.

Drawing of David appears. Fades to drawings of Stephanie.

The next day at school David told me that he had also been charged with distributing child pornography. I didn’t understand.

Drawing of Michael as 3D figurine on hockey table, passing puck to other player and scoring in net. Camera swings around to figurine of police officer, then Michael’s parents.

Then he finally admitted to me that after I had sent him Stephanie’s videos, that he had shared them with some other friends.

Camera swings from Michael’s parents to figurine of lawyer.

The lawyer my parents had hired to represent me in court took the time to explain exactly what was going on.

Drawing of Michael and lawyer. Fades to 3D figurines of Michael and Stephanie on hockey table. Camera pans out to show other hockey player figurines as well. Michael figurine passes puck to David figurine.

He told me that I had no right to show the pictures and videos to anyone, and much less to send them to anyone, not even my best friend David.

Drawing of courthouse. Drawing of Michael appears in front. Drawing of judge’s gravel appears beside him. Courthouse disappears, leaving drawing of Michael and gravel.

Now, I have to appear in court next week to answer to these criminal charges. I will probably be found guilty. I have no defense to offer, because, well, what I’m charged with is exactly what I did.

Drawing of police officer replaces gravel, beside drawing of Michael. Police officer replaced by drawing of Stephanie, beside drawing of Michael.

This will more than likely jeopardize my future career as a police officer. And as for Stephanie… yeah, well, she, she won't even speak to me, she just doesn't trust me anymore.

Fades to 3D image of hockey table and puck passing between figurines. Hockey player shoots puck, which flips towards screen with words on it. Fades to drawing of Michael, with drawings of other things and people rapidly flashing by beside him: computer, Stephanie, David, police officer, Michael’s parents, lawyer, courthouse and judge’s gravel. Ends with drawing of Michael sitting beside image of hockey table.

I did not know…

I never would have thought that when I recorded those pictures and videos, things would turn out this way, and that I would end up in such a mess.  I really did not know.

Video of police officer sitting at desk, speaking to camera.

Voice of police officer: In the short video you just saw, Michael records Stephanie’s intimate shows. Because she is 16 years old and the video is of a sexual nature, it is considered by law as child pornography production.

Because Michael then sends the images of Stephanie to his friend, he has unintentionally become a distributor of child pornography.

Michael broke Stephanie’s trust. She never thought he was going to share her personal video with someone who would forward it to others.

Because of Michael’s actions, no one knows where those videos will end up on the Internet, and there is nothing that Stephanie, or anyone else, can do about it.

When you send a photo or a video through the Internet, it’s like sending it to the whole world. Your photo or video will be around forever, for anyone to access, any time, any where.

Later on in life, photos or videos like these could cause you shame and embarrassment, even jeopardize your future.

Ask yourself: would I send this photo to my own family? If the answer is no, then don’t click the send button on the Internet.

Video image of police officer becomes drawing. Police officer’s title appears in text superimposed over drawing.

Superintendent Mike Gaudreau

Black text on white screen.

Text / original concept

Robert Bisson

Narration

Mike Abbott

Logos of CyberWise.ca and the Mounted Police Foundation.

This project was made possible by a financial contribution from Industry Canada’s CyberWise.ca program and the Mounted Police Foundation.

Logo of Lafbros.

Production: Lafbros

Original music: Labros

Logo of the Government of Canada and Canada wordmark.

Copyright 2007 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada

Music fades out.