Police urge Facebook users not to share a video going around the site. If you do, you could go to jail

Police in Florida are warning Facebook users not to share a video being shared on the social media site.

The video, which depicts the sexual exploitation of a child, has been shared through Facebook and the accompanying application, Messenger, according to Orlando police.

Officials ask that Facebook users not post the video or encourage others to share it, even if their intention is to get the person arrested. Police warn that anyone who shares the video is distributing child pornography, which is a felony.

“Some people think that sharing it with the ‘right person’ could help solve the crime. In this case, that is incorrect information, and we do not want to see an innocent person get in trouble,” Marietta, Ga., Police Department officials told WUSA 9.

“Police throughout the country are aware of this and are investigating and working with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to find the source,” Orlando police said in a Facebook post. “Law enforcement is working on finding answers.”

Alabama investigators told Spectrum Bay News 9 the girl and the man in the video have not yet been identified.

If you see the video, don’t share it. Report the video to the social media platform and delete it, according to Bay News 9.

“The sharing of child exploitative images – regardless of intention – is harmful and illegal,” Facebook's media team said in a statement to WKMG News 6 in Orlando.

Those who come across images or video that depict a child being sexually exploited should also notify the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children by calling 1-800-843-5678, or visiting https://report.cybertip.org.

This story was originally published February 5, 2018 at 8:24 AM with the headline "Police urge Facebook users not to share a video going around the site. If you do, you could go to jail."