A Mesa Arizona teen has been arrested and charged as a sex offender for “exposing himself” during his high school football team picture.
Hunter Osborne of Mesa Arizona decided to play a prank when the Red Mountain High School Football Team snapped their team picture in August by subtly exposing the top of his penis in his waistband.
The team photo was used throughout the year in school programs and ultimately published in the school yearbook. Below is the uncensored image taken directly from Red Mountain High School’s yearbook.
This entire school year nobody complained or noticed anything out of the ordinary with the picture. That all changed this week when Osborne bragged of his prank on social media after the photo was featured in the School Yearbook. He was arrested and charged with 70 counts of indecent exposure (1 count for every person in the photograph). He’s also been charged with furnishing obscene materials to minors which is a felony and will make him a sex offender if convicted.
Yes, the kid made a dumb decision and he needs to be punished by the school for it. But hitting this kid with 70+ charges?
First, it’s kind of hard to justify indecent exposure charges when the team returned to the locker room and took showers in plain view of each other. Second, nobody on the team has claimed they were violated most of them had no idea Osborne did anything at all.
Second, the charge of Distributing Obscene Material to a Minor stems from the picture’s distribution through the school yearbook which was just released. Osborne didn’t distribute the yearbook. If the picture was truly obscene, the school would be liable for printing and distributing it. Teachers and Administrators who approved of the images use haven’t been charged because the picture isn’t obscene. The violation is so inconspicuous, nobody noticed until the school year was almost over, after the photo had been used all year and viewed by thousands without one complaint.
Red Mountain High School has recalled all of the yearbooks so they can block out the few pixels with a sharpie.
Meanwhile, because our society has no common sense, this kid is going to be labeled as a sex offender, probably be kicked out of school, miss his graduation and any college assistance or scholarships are in jeopardy.
Who made the worse decision?
The kid who at worst ruined one page of a yearbook, or the adults who are trying to ruin this kid’s life?
The adults still have time to make the right decision and #FreeHunter.
**Update 5-4-16 6:30pm PST
Mesa Police have dropped all remaining charges (69 counts of Indecent Exposure) against Osborne. According to sources, none of the players or coaches that were in the photo wanted to press charges. Discipline now is in the hands of the school.
Unfortunately for Osborne, the School Administrators have egg on their face by not catching the photo and allowing it to be in the football programs and school yearbook. A punishment that should be a 3 day suspension will most likely be much more severe. We’ll update this page as information becomes available.
**Update 5-4-16 1:00pm PST
Update. The most serious charge, Distributing Obscene Materials to a Minor has been dropped my the Maricopa County Attorney. However, they are still reviewing the 70 counts of Indecent Exposure.
Reality Check 
We all pulled pranks in school I remember being a junior in high school in shop class we made pin hole cameras out of oat mill boxes when the cameras were done two of my friend dropped their pants and let a fellow student take photos of their naked bums all that happened was we all got suspended The two playgirl model wannabes the photographer and me (I refused to snitch) I understand the laws are written to protect children but Hunter is a child himself! He did not intend to harm anyone he is just being a high school senior who is proud of his anatomy
I have not seen the photo but my opinion is if they did not charge Hunter in the fall they should never have charged Him For several reasons,
He did not distribute the photo the school did.
The Yearbook Staff should have done a better job proofreading the photos before they were ever added to Yearbook! Let this kid have a future without a criminal record He has hurt no one! Let him graduate and go to college and let him put this case of judgement behind him!
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Well said!
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Give me a break. Here in Southern Oregon I have a 18yr old who sent a video of himself masturbating to my 15yr old daughter. The cops are NOT concerned. Nor are they concerned that a 19yr old sent some very provocative comments about shoving his privates down her throat. So what gives? Doesn’t Southern Oregon have any scruples?
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I guess we could loan you some of Arizona’s…because we’ve got way too many down here. Again, it all comes down to common sense. Your situation, is much more serious and obscene than the football pic.
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He is 18??? That is of legal age, could you please send me a copy of that video so I can review it myself… I think a second opinion never hurts….
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Additionally, it’s clear to me that the other players were in on it, because if you look at the photo, the guys in the front leave a space so that the prank can be viewed. The rest of them are all standing shoulder to shoulder and arm to arm.
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They should all be arrested if they were all in on it…… Not sure why that wasn’t the case to begin with!
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