Jul 19, 2006 6:35 pm US/Eastern
Naked Child Pictures: Innocent Or Sinister?
CRANBERRY TWP. (KDKA) ―
If you're a parent you've probably done it -- taken innocent pictures of your child naked or without a diaper, running around the house.
KDKA Investigator Marty Griffin reports when does an innocent photo turn into a possible criminal act?
It's a question a Cranberry family had to answer recently after they turned in ten rolls of film to be developed at a Target store.
The family took pictures on memorial day.
A target employee saw a photo of the families six year old daughter naked and thought it was questionable.
They called Cranberry Police.
That started a police investigation that eventually cleared anyone of any wrong doing but it doesn't end there.
The mother told Griffin, "I feel like we have been criminalized... and falsely accused of such a horrible act that sick people do".
The simple act of taking a picture and taking the rolls of film to a retail outlet to be developed happens countless times every day.
Each day store employee check out the developed photos to look for anything suspicious.
"I think it makes perfect sense," said private investigator Lou Gentile. "I think its part of corporate responsibility."
Gentile has put pedophiles in jail as a state police officer.
He often asked retail outlets for help in looking over photos they would develop.
Often times they were family photographs.
"A lot of times it's the mom and dads and relatives who are the perpetrators," said Gentile.
That's what had Target employees concerned as they observed the photos dropped off by the cranberry family.
They saw one picture that stood out and called police.
In a statement, the little girl's mother said it was a picture of "my six year old daughter lying on the family carpet reading cat in the hat... with her butt showing and then an unfocused one of my two year old".
Cranberry Police were called in and sent to the family's home.
Detectives brought the daughter to the police station where she was interviewed.
They found no evidence of any wrongdoing and the family was sent home.
They say the damage was already done.
"The accusation is brutal," said the family. "It will effect my child short term and long term."
Experts, however, see it differently.
"At least 25 percent of females by the age of 18 are molested in one for or another in their home," said Gentile.
Target would not comment on this particular incident but released this statement: "Target is committed to supporting communities in a variety of different ways including partnering with local law enforcement to strengthen and protect the communities in which our stores operate. As such... we have escalation steps in place at all Target photo labs to handle photos that we suspect may contain child pornography. We defer to the expertise of law enforcement if there is reason to believe the photos depict child pornography to determine of further action is required."
Along with Target, Griffin also spoke with Sears, K-Mart and Eckerd Drugs.
They all have very similar polices.
Employees observe the photos when they are developed.
If they see anything they consider suspicious, they call a supervisor and they call in police.
Police officers who investigate the crimes say the arrangement has led to the arrest and conviction of pedophiles nationwide.
Experts say parents have to use their judgment.
However, its unlikely baby pictures will ever be questioned but when a child get to be six years or older then you have to be careful.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)