A schoolgirl and her boyfriend have effectively been left with a criminal record after she received a police caution for 'sexting' her boyfriend.

The young girl sent topless photos of herself to her boyfriend, who then showed them to his friends after the two had an argument. 

The boyfriend and the young girl, who are under 18, received the same penalty for sharing the images. 

The couple were told by Nottinghamshire Police that they committed the offence of ‘distributing an indecent image of a child’ because both were under 18.

A police caution is not a conviction, but does mean that the two now have a criminal record. The maximum penalty for their crime, if they were charged, is up to 10 years in prison and entry on the Registered Sex Offenders list.

“They could end up on the register for a couple of years. When they come to getting a job this would then count against them," said Detective Sergeant Jan Rusdale from Nottinghamshire Police.

“We just want to get the message out there that this is a very serious offence. We need parents and children to realise this.”