Girl finds cameras at sleepover, but what happens next will terrify parents

"They outright lied to her."

A mum has put an end to sleepovers after her 11-year-old daughter discovered 'security' cameras in her friend’s bedroom.

While sleepovers are often seen as a rite of passage, this mum isn’t willing to take any chances after this incident.

She explained online:

"She told me that there were ‘security cameras’ in her friend’s room. She was told by the parents that they were for security purposes and that they were ‘turned off’."

But the cameras weren’t off... and what happened next was alarming to say the least.

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"My daughter said it was a 'kidnapper' house" 

The woman's daughter noticed that the indicator light on one of the devices was still on, so she covered them with a shirt. But then, “the parent came into the room, removed the shirt, didn’t say anything, and left."

Fortunately, the daughter was cautious enough not to change in the room and savvy enough to understand the potential risk. She called her mum immediately to be collected.

Image: iStock

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"They lied to her about the cameras"

Seeking clarity, the mum turned to an online parenting group, wondering if she was overreacting.

“I’m trying to wrap my head around why they would possibly need TWO cameras in their 11-year-old’s room. She is very well behaved, not involved with drugs or sex,” she said. 

While she considered the possibility of a medical reason for the cameras, the presence of two other children at the sleepover made her feel it was inappropriate.

“My daughter felt like their house was a “kidnappers” house and I have never been prouder of her for following her gut, but also terrified,” she admitted. 

Commenters were just as disturbed.

“Seriously. I would have been five kinds of pissed,” one person wrote. 

“Her daughter was told not to worry because they were off, but it was obviously a lie since they came in and removed the shirt. That alone is weird and inappropriate,” said another.

“No offence to the people labelling this as "weird", but that's dangerously underselling how bad the situation is,” added a third.

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"Helicopter parenting"

One commenter speculated that the mum's reaction could be a case of overzealous, “helicopter” parenting.

“I could see parents genuinely thinking camming their daughter's sleepover was them just being vigilant for any conversations or inappropriate behavior,” they wrote. 

Adding to the complexity, the mum of the daughter's friend is a respected member of the school community, making the situation even more sensitive.

“I feel like I have a responsibility to do something about this, at least let the other mum know. But from past experiences I know things like this are not easy and there are a lot of people who would rather just turn a blind eye,” she said. 

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Originally published as Girl finds cameras at sleepover, but what happens next will terrify parents