To not tell DP about stepdaughter

After major incidents the safeguarding reviews always show that people had all the pieces but nobody put them together. He would be entitled not to tell you something though and this may add to something he already knows. Tell him.

Been a while since I saw borrow my camera in a sentence. I don't even know where mine is, phones are that handy.

no secrets. Secrets always destroy people eventually. Tell dad and broach the subject carefully. I also wouldn't delete till other parent had been informed as well.

You need to tell him and he needs to find if and where they have been uploaded.

If this is happening at another child’s house then their parents should also be told!
Also right now the pictures are on your camera so could look like it was you taking the photos!!!! U need to protect yourself by getting the right support for these kids and first step would be tell the dad, second step safeguarding officer

I’m a stepmum and I’d tell my dh in a heartbeat

Are you mad? She's dealt with nothing. This isn't her child.

And don’t delete the photos. They’re evidence. At the moment you only have your step daughters explanation but there might be something more sinister going on and evidence will be needed. Her father will be really angry if it turns out there’s a predator and the chance to deal with him is lost because of your actions.

I have to echo previous posters; you’re behaving as though you’re her parent but you’re not. Her actual parent, the person with parental responsibility, is the person to decide how this is dealt with. Of course she’s embarrassed but that’s not a reason her father should be sidelined. You should also consider the possibility that once she is over the shock and embarrassment of being caught out, she simply becomes smarter when indulging in ill advised / dangerous behaviour and then her father discovers that he’s the last to know about a long list of risky behaviour. You’ll never be able to explain why you believed he had no right to know.

She hasn’t dealt with it at all.

You’re extremely naive if you believe that version of the story. They took the photos to send to someone online if they have not already done so.
if I was the parent and the other parent wouldn’t tell me this, I would be fuming. It’s not appropriate that you start keeping secrets for her. He needs to know unless you think he would physically hurt her.

Tell DP and the school but do not forward the photos to anyone as it’s distributing child pornography which is illegal.

You would be furious if it was done to you so there's your answer. You need to tell him.

She claims they were just messing around and weren’t to show anyone, which I believe.

While possibly true...you are imo naive to believe it. it's incredibly poor decision making which needs addressing (its not clear that you have) and it is 💯 not for you to decide its innocent and not a problem.

You would be risking your relationship with the father of your child by keeping this secret. There is no way i would jeopardise my family unit / my child's happiness by keeping this a secret.

This is 100% a "you need to tell him" type thing especially as from what you behave written you havent addressed / discussed the implications of what shes done with her.
Ie what could have happened... its a crime so if she does it and takes sexual photos of underage children there can be consequences
...

I would tell him but I’d say that you are telling him as her dad but he needs to trust and respect that you have dealt with this so he doesn’t also need to be having a separate chat with with her

You need to tell him, OP. He may overreact, but he is the appropriate person to tell. The fact you are considering how not telling might improve your relationship with her rather than focusing on what she needs is kind of telling. This is unlikely to be the way you think about your own child when they are older. I understand the wanting to improve your relationship with her, but this isn't the way to do it.

Do not delete the photos. That is not your decision to make.

Jesus. Tell HER PARENT. With all due respect - you are not her parent. Her father needs to know.

Don't know know anything at all about safeguarding? Literally one of the first things is never to agree to keep a child's secrets about stuff like this.

Not school, safe guarding officer, they could support SD. It’s just that the nearest trained Safe Guarding Officer will be a teacher.

Role reverse this
how would you feel if you were a single mum to a girl, she borrowed your partners camera and found these and didn’t tell you????
he deletes them
then 6 months later there’s a knock at the door……
please tell him

What’s it got to do with her school?

This isn’t your decision to make, and it’s disturbing you think it is.

With respect you aren’t her mum or her dad and this girl is a minor taking indecent photos. You need to tell the dad because if the other girls parents find out and he finds out you knew it’ll be a whole world of trouble. Also make sure there aren’t naked pictures of the other girls on the camera

Keeping secrets from your partner never goes wrong, does it?