"Somebody must have really been looking because I didn't even notice it until I got a text saying, 'hey check out what is going on on page 85,'" said Donny Souza, a senior at Big Bear High.
It was on that page of the 2011 yearbook that a photo captured a 15-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy in a sexual act. San Bernardino County Sheriff's deputies were contacted to investigate.
The teens were in the background of the photograph, which was taken during one of the school's dances. According to San Bernardino County sheriff's spokeswoman Cindy Bachman, the photo appears to show the male with his hand inside the female's clothing.
School officials ordered students to turn in their copies and have the photo removed. Students who didn't comply where told they could face child pornography charges for possessing the photograph.
"It is not a good picture and what the girl is doing is inappropriate. But the entirety of the thing just being put under child pornography and them threatening us is my only problem," said Donny Souza.
While he did have his yearbook altered, Donny Souza's father believes school officials went about it the wrong way.
"I am very angry. I know a lot of the kids that were threatened. I coach football up here and a lot of them were very upset with the threats," said parent Donald Souza.
The Bear Valley Unified School District issued the following statement about the photograph:
"It was discovered that a background of one of the pictures contained material that was inappropriate. School and district administration are conducting an investigation into the matter and will take appropriate action based on their finding."
The school district said it has ordered a replacement insert for the yearbook to give to students.
Meanwhile, the 17-year-old male in the photograph is facing possible charges.
