Some yearbook gimmicks are hilariously clever, some are just downright foolish. For one Arizona high school student, his silly prank was enough to get him arrested.
Immature Joke
Hunter Osborn, a 19-year old student at Red Mountain High School in Mesa, thought it would be a good idea to pull his pants down while posing for the varsity football team's official yearbook photo. The image went unnoticed by school administrators for months, but when word got out about Osborn's immature joke, they immediately reported the photo to the police.
CBS News reported that Osborn is now facing 69 misdemeanor counts of indecent exposure and 1 felony count for brandishing potentially harmful items to minors. Det. Steve Berry of the Mesa Police Department said the criminal charges are based on the number of people present when the now-viral photo was taken.
Investigation Continues, School Prompts Recall
"It is still an ongoing investigation," said Berry. "The number of charges may go up or down depending upon how the investigation continues."
School district officials issued a statement after Osborn's arrest. They stated that they were dismayed by Osborn's gesture and that the yearbook would be recalled so that minor changes could be made.
That will prove to be a daunting task as the yearbook has already been handed out to 3,400 students at Red Mountain. The photo was also featured on school program guides sold during football games.
Regret Comes Last
According to Daily Mail, Osborn was 18 when the photo was taken. He was dared by his football teammates to expose himself. He now regrets saying yes to the dare and is disgusted by what he had done.
"I hope that something can be done so that this doesn't ruin his life, his career," one of Osborn's neighbor told KPHO. "He's been a good neighbor. He doesn't go out and party all the time. He has a job that he works at. He's punctual. He gets up and goes to school every morning. He gets up on Sunday and goes to church. I really feel for the guy."
Osborn was charged on Saturday, but was later released on his own recognizance. He has been ordered to put on an electric tagging device while his case is still being heard.
