2nd-grader got access to porn on school-issued iPad

SONOMA, Calif. (KGO) -- A second grader got access to porn sites on her school-issued iPad and now the Sonoma Valley Unified School District is taking action to make sure it doesn't happen again. The incident happened last week at Prestwood Elementary School in Sonoma and this week the districts IT department is busy going through the browser history of iPads from five elementary schools.

A mother discovered in a conference with a teacher last week that her daughter had accessed several adult porn videos on her school iPad. She told ABC seven news she was livid and drilled into the issue with the principal and the school district. Several other kids in the same second-grade classroom also accessed inappropriate content.

Bruce Abbott, associate superintendent with Sonoma Valley unified school District, described how he thinks a second grader tripped upon the content, "Well, what we think happened is on YouTube you type in a keyword, kissing was the word, and then it returns videos and then it gives you other videos."

The district wasted no time and rounded up iPads from all K through five classrooms and five elementary schools. They're looking at browser histories and will notify other parents if needed. So far iPads from two schools have been cleared of YouTube, Safari and Twitter access and new software is being loaded that will help teachers monitor content. The wiped clean iPads will be redistributed next week after spring break.

That mother texted ABC7 News about her eight-year-old daughter saying she was sad and sick about it.

"I assured her she is not in trouble and that I love her more than anything. I explained that what she saw is not real-- just like the fantasy creatures in movies. I explained how humans do not treat each other like that and men do not hurt women and loving relationships. That is not what it means to be an adult. We are still trying to work through this. I know what she saw but she cannot talk about it yet. She shuts down and cries a lot. We are working through nightmares one night at a time."

She is requesting extensive IT training for all adults responsible for monitoring children's use of technology. And she wants the school to evaluate if open media for younger children is really necessary.