Children as young as 11 in Child Protection Department-run homes allegedly prostituting themselves for cash, drugs, vapes

Workers supervising children in state care say middle aged men are paying girls as young as 11 for sex with money, drugs and nicotine “literally weekly”.

Girls as young as 11 in state care are prostituting themselves for money, drugs, vapes and cigarettes, youth workers who have supervised the children allege.

Residential care workers have told The Advertiser at least a dozen young girls aged between 11 and 15 are routinely leaving the houses to see men they meet online and having sex in exchange for the goods and cash.

The workers, who spoke on the condition of anonymity fearing repercussions from the Child Protection Department, have worked in department-run houses in Adelaide’s northern and southern suburbs.

The workers, who care for children living in department-run houses, allege the department is aware of the behaviour but has put no measures in place to stop the children from leaving the houses to meet with the men.

“It’s literally weekly,” one youth worker said. “You’d lose track of how often it was.”

The worker said the girls referred to the prostitution as “scheming”.

They said when they tried to stop the girls from leaving the homes, their lives were threatened by older men picking the children up.

“They are calling these 40-year-olds who are loading them up on drugs and having sex with them and other older guys,” they said.

There are shock allegations girls as young as 11 are prostituting themselves for money and drugs in state-run Child Protection Department homes. File picture

On one occasion, a girl in care told a youth worker she was meeting up with a man she met through Snapchat because she believed he would give her Xanax pills in exchange for sex.

She allegedly pulled a knife and told the worker: “If they try anything I’ll f*** them up”.

One girl in state care, believed to be 15 years old at the time, posted images of dozens of Xanax pills and bottles of alcohol to social media.

One youth worker said they were told by a Child Protection Department staff member an 11-year-old girl was known to leave her northern suburbs home to meet men for sex.

They said the department was aware the girl had spent several nights at an alleged sex offender’s home with a friend of a similar age.

After returning to her home, the 11-year-old allegedly told a youth worker: “lucky he didn’t try to sexually assault me because he was on the sex offender’s registry list” before eventually disclosing she had been sexually assaulted.

“She was sexually assaulted while she was at this man’s house,” a Child Protection Department staff member told the youth worker.

Jackie Bray, the new CEO of the Child Protection Department. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Kelly Barnes

Girls as young as 11 in state care are prostituting themselves for money, drugs, vapes, and cigarettes, youth workers who have supervised the children allege. Picture: Stock images

Youth workers are not permitted by the department to lock doors in the homes, meaning they cannot stop the girls from leaving.

SA Police would not comment on whether or not the alleged sexual assault had been reported or investigated.

It is also alleged a girl in state care told a Child Protection Department worker she had been raped but it was not reported because the worker thought the allegation was “fabricated”.

On another occasion, a 16-year-old girl in state care allegedly made a Tinder profile where she identified herself as being 19 years old to meet older men for sex.

“She meets up with adults from this profile and will go and meet them in the city and have sex with them for payments of vapes, cigarettes, money and drugs,” one youth worker said.

A Child Protection Department worker told the youth worker the girl disclosed to police she received the goods in exchange for sex and that she had been raped by the man.

On another occasion, a 15-year-old girl had allegedly organised to have sex with an older man in exchange for about 30 Xanax pills so she could “overdose” herself.

The incident was only prevented because a child in another department-run house had raised concerns about the girl’s plans.

Youth workers allegedly found correspondence between the girl and older men on her phone, and urged police to investigate before being told police were already aware of the communication.

On another occasion, one girl allegedly tried to persuade a younger girl in care to have “sex with sudos” – referring to older Sudanese men – in exchange for Xanax pills.

Four girls overdosed in hotel

In October last year, four girls in state care were found overdosed at the Highlander Hotel at Gilles Plains before one was taken to hospital. No wrongdoing is alleged against the hotel.

After the incident, one of the girls found in the hotel room told a youth worker there had been between $6000 and $8000 cash in the hotel room.

She told the worker the girls had agreed to attend the hotel because they were promised money in exchange for sex with men.

“A lot of that was trying to be kept hush hush because of how heavy it was,” a youth worker said.

Former Child Protection Department chief executive Cathy Taylor confirmed in May an alleged sexual assault had been reported the following day.

One of the girls contracted a sexually transmitted infection that night, one youth worker alleged.

An SA Police spokesman said there was an investigation into the alleged sexual assault but no charges were laid.

Police declined to comment on whether or not it was aware of allegations of youth prostitution involving girls in state care and referred The Advertiser to the Child Protection Department for further comment.

Department chief executive Jackie Bray said the sexual exploitation of children and young people by “predatory adults” was “deeply concerning”.

“The Department for Child Protection is implementing a range of proactive measures aiming to prevent the sexual exploitation of vulnerable children and young people in care,” she said.

“In situations where there is imminent risk to a child or young person, DCP staff proactively respond to prevent the risk of danger to the young person.”

Ms Bray said matters of a criminal nature were “referred directly to SA Police for investigation”.