COLORADO SPRINGS — A federal lawsuit filed against KOAA-TV claims that the Pueblo-based news station sexually exploited a 14-year-old boy by airing an image of his penis in a news report.

The teenager, now 16, named the TV station and six employees for sexual exploitation, invasion of privacy and defamation in a suit filed in Denver district court Jan. 29. The Gazette generally does not publish the names of juveniles in cases of sex crimes.Other defendants include NBC Universal and Comcast.

The teenager and his family told KOAA in February 2014 about a blackmail attempt against the boy after a cell phone video of the teenager’s penis was uploaded on YouTube, the lawsuit says.

The news story, which aired Feb. 24, 2014, showed a YouTube thumbnail image of the boy’s penis, his full name and Facebook page, the lawsuit says. The teen and his father had asked the station not to release the boy’s identity.

The teen is seeking $75,000 in damages.

See the full story at Gazette.com.