York Regional Police are investigating a website that has been posting pictures of teenage girls and asking users to rate them based on their physical appearance.
The website, which first popped up last Thursday, has posted pictures of more than 50 female students at Sacred Heart Catholic School in Newmarket.
The site rates the teens based on whether users would have sex with them, and allows respondents to vote on their physical appearance.
Maria Brisbane, a 17-year-old student from Sacred Heart, says many of the girls are outraged by the website.
“They are hurt by this. They feel offended and they feel like this is just wrong and degrading and this shouldn’t happen at all,” she told CTV Toronto.
“I just think it’s awful, I can’t believe someone would think to do this,” she said. “It’s a public website, anyone can view this -- parents, teachers.”
The school alerted the police after students complained about the website.
York Regional Police have launched an investigation into the site and say there is a possibility that criminal charges could be laid.
Officials say the pictures were taken from Facebook accounts that were open and are asking students to take appropriate security measures to protect their online accounts.
The school says it is unable to take the site down until they know who is running it.
Police tell CTV Toronto that they are also investigating a separate Twitter account that talks about sexual activity in schools across the GTA.
Guidance counsellors will be meeting with students whose pictures have been posted online to help deal with the incident.
Brisbane says some students have since put up posters in the school showing women portrayed in a way that does not objectify them. She hopes the incident will open up a discussion about cyber-bullying.
With a report from CTV Toronto's Naomi Parness
