Teenagers warned about websites posing as popular social networks getting kids to post nude selfies
SOUTH Australian children as young as 13 are being lured to websites — with names that mimic popular social media sites — to display nude photos and meet for sexual encounters.
SOUTH Australian children as young as 13 are being lured to websites — with names that mimic popular social media sites — to display nude photos and meet for sexual encounters.
Adelaide-based child advocacy group Teen Support Network says parents, children and childcare workers must be made aware of sites that use similar names to Snapchat and KIK Messenger, attracting children who can easily be preyed upon by paedophiles.
Network founder William Russell said the Find Snapchat Friends and KIK Friender sites are among the worst he has seen.
“We are concerned minors are being targeted and groomed by online predators on these sites that encourage users to ‘sext’, send nude photos of themselves or others, and to meet up for sexual encounters,” he said.
“This could be a very dangerous situation for these kids as they have no idea who might be there to meet up with them.
“The names of these sites look so innocent and some children could easily find themselves on there and within minutes be feeling intimidated to do something they will regret.”
Mr Russell, 23, a finalist in the 2016 SA Young Person of the Year Award for his youth advocacy work, says many of the female profiles appear to be faked, so the sites are mainly looking to trap young boys.
Operating from a server in the US, the sites have no association with the official Snapchat or KIK Messenger apps, but can be accessed with user profiles from those apps.
Mr Russell logged on to one of the sites this week using his Snapchat profile and found dozens of South Australian youngsters online.
“Within minutes I had teenagers as young as 13 looking for nude pictures of me. They were very persistent, pressuring me, even though I told them I was only looking for chats,” he said.
“A 15-year-old boy from Blakeview asked me to meet up and have sex. Just like that. He gave me all his details — phone number, Facebook page, and the high school he attends.
“His profile was so open I could have contacted his mum. I seriously thought about doing that but I ended up telling him about all the dangers of what he was doing.
“He said he wouldn’t go on the site again but when we hung up he removed me from Snapchat and Facebook.”
Mr Russell said his organisation, that has reported the sites to the federal E-Safety Commissioner and the State Government, was fearful of another “Carly Ryan situation”, in reference to the 15-year-old murdered by an online predator in 2007.
“These are global websites and pictures and profiles of these children are possibly being uploaded to cloud sharing services for anyone to have access to,” Mr Russell said.