Twin Falls, Idaho (KMVT-TV) New research reveals one fourth of teenagers have admitted to sending a sext.

And according to the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, more than 75% of teens who were asked to sext, even if they don't agree, admitted to having sex.

The study defines sexting as the practice of electronically sending sexually explicit messages or images from one person to another.

The act of sending these messages could also get the teenager into some legal trouble.

We caught up with a Twin Falls Police Detective who explains the severity of the act.

"In particular right now, when a child under the age of 18 takes a sexually exploitative picture of themselves and they possess it, technically it would be a felony. A lot of cops aren't going to be hard pressed to charge a felony, but then the child goes ahead and sends it over the internet and if it goes over state lines, it can be investigated federally as well," Det. Todd Rudner, Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

Detective Rudner is part of the ICACTF.

Although he works at the Twin Falls Police Department, he investigates crimes across the country.