A cropped version of the photo that appeared online, purported to be of Trail Blazers' injured center Greg Oden.

EUGENE, Ore. – What if a private picture message suddenly became very public? A cell phone snapshot of Portland Trailblazer Greg Oden standing naked in front of a bathroom mirror got people talking about "sexting."

Oregon school officials say sexting – which is sending a racy picture message – is something teenagers in our area are doing. They say it's a mistake that could last a lifetime.

The 22-year-old Oden apologized for the picture saying, "You definitely have to be careful with who you trust. It was very, very embarrassing."

Lane County District Attorney Alex Gardner said trust is a driving factor behind sexting in our schools. He says a picture might be meant for a boyfriend or girlfriend, might be taken on a dare, or could just be a silly moment among friends.

"Most of this starts out as pretty benign stuff," he said. "It's just kids being kids. And by the time it's out of control it's too late to fix it."

But if an image gets in the wrong hands, the consequences could last a lifetime.

"Once it goes viral, it's everywhere," said Gardner. "There's really no way to recover something once it's in the public domain like that."

The DA's office has been working with school superintendents to combat the issue. They devised a three step plan and drafted a letter for parents.

"It's not the only important issue to talk to your students about," said Kerry Delf, spokeswoman with the Eugene 4J School District. "But it may be one that parents are not aware of."

The plan is 3 phases:

1. Educate students and parents about the risk. 
    
2. Improve communication with educators about where the line is with criminal behavior and non-criminal behavior.
    
3. Know when law enforcement should get involved.

Sexting could be a felony if it's used as child pornography.

"So the idea is let's all try to get on the same page," said Gardner, "and make sure we're acting in a manner that protects the kids as well as we can."

While Gardner would not comment on local numbers, he says there are enough sexting cases in Lane County alone to be concerned. He said nationally some reports estimate more than 30 percent of U.S. high schoolers "sext."

There is no sexting policy in place within the Lane County district, so for now incidents are treated on a case by case basis. She said certain incidents could be fall under "cyber bullying." Delf urges students to come forward if they've become a victim of sexting and suggests parents warn their children about the risk.

"If this is something that creates a hostile environment for a student at school," she said, "then this is something that can be brought to bear."

Meanwhile, Oregon laws are clamping down on distribution of photos for anyone underage. Those who knowingly forward a sexting photo, or encourage "lewd exhibition" for a snapshot, could be found guilty of a felony.