Warning for teens on dating networks

THE teenage dating app a pedophile predator used to lure a 13-year-old South Australian girl in state care has been curtailed — but alarming alternatives can still be downloaded, warn top cyber-safety educators.

And the social networking and dating website Mylol, aimed at teens of all ages, can still be accessed through the internet.

eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant described Tinder-like teen dating apps as “honeypots to predators looking to engage young people”.

“Unfortunately, apps that are popular with young people can attract predators seeking to groom and abuse them ... apps which tout themselves as a ‘teen dating’ app are particularly worrying,” she said.

“While teens are programmed to be curious and push boundaries, they need to be aware that not everyone they engage with online is who they say they are, and they may not always have the best intentions.”

Cyber-safety group ySafe’s managing director Jordan Foster said too many parents underestimated the risk of the internet and “genuinely” had no idea of what their kids were being exposed to online.

“What happened to this poor girl is a sad but important indication to parents that we have to be involved in our child’s digital lives.”

Carly Ryan Foundation (CRF) chief executive Sonya Ryan said: “Wherever there are apps that young people are using, there will be predators on those apps looking to connect with those kids.”