MUM’S WARNING FOLLOWING SHOCKING DISCOVERY ON TEEN‘S PHONE
PARENT HORRIFIED TO FIND MESSAGES AND SEXUALLY EXPLICIT PHOTOS AND VIDEOS FROM MEN
THE mother of a Cleethorpes schoolgirl has warned parents to be alert after discovering sickening messages on her daughter’s mobile phone.
She wants all parents to be aware of the tell-tale signs of how girls are preyed upon by creeps and paedophiles.
The parent was horrified to discover messages and sexually explicit photos and videos from men in her 13-year-old daughter’s Instagram messages when she confiscated her phone.
“There are many parents who are not social media savvy and won’t know of the images which are shared on platforms like Instagram,” she said.
She added: “Men in their 50s sent scores of appalling images and videos even though she warned them she was just a young teenager. I blamed myself for not doing more to prevent it and kept telling myself it was my fault.”
The mother contacted the parents of her daughter’s friends and they were also unaware of the issue. The teenager had been contacted on Instagram by a number of men. They start the chat by asking questions of what she’s doing and whether she’s alone. The conservation continues with flattery for the girl and persists even though she tells them her age.
She had blocked requests for contact details and accounts. But Instagram settings only block messages if the account owner actively blocks someone from following them and further indecent images were found by the mother on the phone, including videos.
The mother said: “We all have a duty of care when there is a potential risk to other children.”
She urged parents to look out for their child becoming secretive about how they are spending their time online and becoming upset, withdrawn or distressed.
The mum, who did not want to be named to protect her daughter’s identity, said: “When it first happened I felt embarrassed and kept it to myself. It has been tough. But when I spoke to another parent, I decided to speak about it. My daughter is now aware of the dangers and what can happen when people start accounts on social media. “They like to be public, instead of private because they get more followers that way and that is where many children want to be and in the limelight. But it was horrific to find 48 different accounts of people trying to get through to her, with sexual images.
“They had used the details in her Bio to find out where she was and even with photos you can give away our location. It made it horrendous because one of the men knew she was in Cleethorpes.”
She added: “She was doing the right thing by blocking the men and saying she would tell the police. But she had not spoken to me before this. There are many kids who are vulnerable who will keep it secret for whatever reason and then they get dragged into exploitation as the people take advantage.”
The parent said: “There is more that schools can do with more talks, as not all parents know about what the social media platforms are all about.
“My daughter clearly did not know the enormity of the danger she put herself in. We are all learning and trying to keep up-to-date with stuff on social media. You never want to be over intrusive into their lives as it is like a diary for them. Teenagers are usually one-step ahead. But these paedos always find a way of getting through.”
The NSPCC warn that children and young people can be groomed for sexual exploitation and trafficking.
“They might target one child online or contact lots of children very quickly and wait for them to respond. A groomer can use the same sites, games and apps as young people, spending time learning about a young person’s interests and use this to build a relationship with them,” the charity warned.
The NSPCC say: “Groomers might also try and isolate children from their friends and family, making them feel dependent on them and giving the groomer power and control over them. They might use blackmail to make a child feel guilt and shame or introduce the idea of ‘secrets’ to control, frighten and intimidate.
“It’s important to remember that children and young people may not understand they’ve been groomed. They may have complicated feelings, like loyalty, admiration, love, as well as fear, distress and confusion.” The charity said it is important parents listen carefully to what their children are saying and to reassure them they are doing the right thing by talking to you.
They urged parents to report matters to the police and to the child’s school, local child protection service and police on 101. The NSPCC say they will report incidents on behalf of parents and can be contacted on 0808 800 5000 or email help@nspcc. org.uk