CYBER SICKOS

LOCAL girls as young as 14 had their faces superimposed on to naked bodies and the photos published online in a series of sickening cyber attacks.

The North Queensland girls had photos stolen from their Facebook accounts and digitally altered before they were posted on pornographic websites and circulated on social media.

Police suspect the culprits were known to their victims and are warning teenagers to increase the security on their social media accounts.

The cyber bullies have targeted teenage girls in Ingham, with at least five already falling victim to the cyber sickos.

One victim, 19, told the Bulletin she was so distraught after seeing the doctored photos of her had been posted online that she left town.

“I had to because I was just so sick of the bullying and embarrassment,” she said.

“I don’t really know who could do that to me or why they would do it. The pictures are still up there and around the internet … I was distraught.”

The woman said she found out about the pictures when someone sent a link to her 13- year- old cousin.

The photos were also posted on a pornographic website, circulated on Facebook and posted to Ingham community social media pages.

A fake Facebook account was created in the victim’s name where the photos were posted and requests sent to her friends to join the page.

Child Protection Investigation Unit detective Senior Sergeant Dave Miles said he had investigated three similar cases in the last six years.

“They were most likely locals who have local contacts to enable them to obtain photographs of the victims,” he said. “When you have kids with upwards of 2000 and 3000 friends on Facebook, one would wonder how many they would actually know.

“We will conduct an investigation and no doubt in a short period of time, be able to find where the material was uploaded.”

Sen- Sgt Miles said cyber bullies often thought their crimes were anonymous but that was not true.

Detectives will follow the bullies’ trail.

The victim’s mother said she knew of five girls who had been targeted, all current or past Ingham State High School students.

“One of the younger girls was only 14,” she said. “I’d hate to see any other mother go through this.”

The culprits face Commonwealth charges of using a carriage to menace and harass which carries a penalty of up to 10 years imprisonment.

Anyone with information should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.