Nazareth Catholic College embroiled in Year 7 Snapchat scandal, SA Police investigating

A young private school student is being investigated by police over a Snapchat scandal.

A student at Nazareth private school in Adelaide's west is being investigated by police after allegedly sending inappropriate content via Snapchat. Picture: Supplied

A student at a western suburbs school is being investigated by police after allegedly sending inappropriate content via Snapchat.

Nazareth Catholic College wrote to parents early last week after the Year 7 student allegedly sent the images to other students through a private Snapchat group called ‘Year Seven Nazareth’.

SA Police are investigating if artificial intelligence was used to create any images and if they incorporated any students or staff at any of Nazareth’s four co-ed campuses, which cater for more than 2,000 students.

“There are very few occasions when I write directly to families of a specific cohort of students,” an email to parents said.

A student at Nazareth private school in Adelaide's west is being investigated by police after allegedly sending inappropriate content via Snapchat. Picture: Supplied

“In this case I believe it important to inform you of a serious incident on Snapchat affecting some students in Year 7.

“As you would expect, our team is well resourced and equipped across pastoral care and wellbeing to respond and support our young people who may be affected in some way.”

SA Police are investigating if the images involved the use of AI and incorporated students or staff members. Picture: Supplied

Concerned parents told The Advertiser their children removed themselves from the invite-only Snapchat group after the images were shared, before being manually added by other students.

The school’s deputy principal, key staff and leadership members reportedly spoke with the entire year level about the alleged incident last week.

The letter said the school was providing “ongoing education and tools for students to navigate the digital world safely”.

Principal Brian Schumacher (left) said the incident involved a “small group of students” Picture: Supplied

Nazareth Catholic College Principal Brian Schumacher said the safety of students was a priority.

“We are aware of an incident on a social media platform affecting a small group of students,” Mr Schumacher said.

“As always, we remain fully committed to the wellbeing of all.”

It comes two years after a mobile phone ban was introduced to all South Australian public schools in a bid to curb violence within schools and increase productivity for students.

A majority of principals and teachers say they are dealing with fewer “critical incidents” involving mobile phones since it was introduced.

Under Nazareth’s mobile phone policy, students must turn off their mobile devices during school hours and place them in lockers.

It is not known if the student was sending the images while at the $7,700-a-year school.

eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant told The Advertiser in 2023 the emerging technology is capable of creating convincing deep fakes and child exploitation material.

“We suspect the harms being unleashed are much more widespread and our reports are just the tip of the iceberg,” Ms Inman Grant said at the time.

“It’s becoming harder and harder to tell the difference between what’s real and what’s fake online. And it’s much easier to inflict great harm.”
A Sydney school came under fire earlier this year after a Year 12 allegedly used AI to generate fake porn of his female classmates.