Youth texting has now gotten "R" rated.

"Sexting," is the newest text messaging craze among high school teens.  The rest of the term is instead of texting word messages to friends, the teen texts pornographic pictures of themselves to classmates or friends.

"Texting may be convenient for teenagers and young adults, but it's also dangerous," said Burlington Police Sgt. Kristian Carlson.

It's an unfamiliar word to adults, but Carlson said the majority of high school students know what it is.

Even scarier, Burlington Police are seeing more cases of it as a gateway to sexual crimes.

"Sexting."just like child porn cases involving the internet, police can only act on it if it's reported to them.

"It's really kind of opening up a new avenue for people to communicate to our kids," Carlson said. 

Carlson suggested parents don't be afraid to talk to kids about privacy.  He knows it can be a sensitive issue, but if you don't keep an eye on them, it could mean life or death.