Perverts stalk girls on the web

Victoria Kirby and Dean Kirby

November 19, 2009

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UNDERAGE girls are being bombarded with sexually explicit and abusive messages from men on via websites aimed at exclusively for teenagers, an investigation has found.

A 14-year-old was sent dozens of inappropriate comments after creating a profile on a reputable teen networking site with the help of a reporter. She received more than 100 'friend' requests and hundreds of messages before Teenspot.com shut down her profile.

Her parents, who agreed to let her take part in the investigation by our sister station Real Radio as part of our Websafe internet safety campaign, say they are shocked by what they learned. Some of the men sent requests for 'private' email chats and others asked the girl for her mobile number.

The messages became progressively worse after the reporter posted a photograph on the US-based website of a scantily-clad young woman, similar to those widely posted on such sites.

Despite clearly declaring she is 14, one man, aged 19, sent messages and admitted: "I know this might get me into trouble'. Another, aged 23, sent dozens of sinister, late-night messages.

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The teenager, Ffion, who didn't want us to reveal her surname, said: "The messages I was receiving were very alarming."

The M.E.N is running the Websafe campaign this week with Real Radio and our sister TV station Channel M aimed at making the internet a safer place.

We revealed on Monday how one in three children in Greater Manchester had given away personal details to strangers they met online, while more than a quarter of boys and girls aged 11 to 15 have agreed to meet people they have chatted to online. The investigation into teen websites uncovered dozens of inappropriate photographs including some of people having sex.

Ffion's dad, Stuart, said: "I was very shocked when I saw the sort of stuff that was being put on there and how sexually explicit it was.

When we contacted Teenspot.com it criticised our use of the site and stressed it had removed our entry as soon as it became aware of inappropriate content. The site refused to discuss other cases of misuse.

Grieving parents back our Websafe campaign

Internet peril facing our kids

Don't be scared to keep your kids safe

How to protect your kids on the net

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Showing comments 1 to 22 and replies | View All

Guten Tag, Manchester (19/11/2009 at 09:25)

The power of the internet, and yet used by perverts.

WAS IT REALLY 37 YEARS, TAMESIDE (19/11/2009 at 10:03)

"The messages became progressively worse after the reporter posted a photograph on the US-based website of a scantily-clad young woman ..."

Quel surprise!!

gillykins, urmston (19/11/2009 at 10:40)

My daughter only adds her actual friends and declines any requests from people she doesnt know. The internet can be a safe thing to use when used properly!

ebble, manchester (19/11/2009 at 10:43)

Parents should control their children's access to the internet. Many don't bother or even make a serious attempt to bother, and then they whine about the consequences.

I suggest that the parents of any child groomed by perverts online should be prosecuted for parental negligence if it can be shown they allowed their children unsupervised access to the internet.

Stevedore, Quayside (19/11/2009 at 10:44)

Isn't this in itself a form of child abuse allowing a 14 year old girl to be used in an entrapment exercise where she was subject to receiving abusive messages?

tiggerluc, somewhere in shaw (19/11/2009 at 11:11)

Stevedore- I am sure it was done under close supervision of all invclved.

And i see no mention of the perverts who instantly preyed on her. As ive said before once these perverts are convicted -b an them from internet access for life.

Stevedore, Quayside (19/11/2009 at 11:44)

tiggerluc

I'm sure you are right tiggerlug but a woman, or man for that matter, of any age could have posed as a 14 year old girl for this investigative internet exercise thus not exposing this girl to abusive messages. Afterall, men who access these sites seeking minors to groom for sex often pose as someone much younger than they actually are. On the internet you can be who you want to be or how you want others to think of you.

Bertie McGrew , Northern Countryside (19/11/2009 at 12:44)

Internet perverts who target under aged girls will be caught and will be punished I have no doubt.

But the entire media industry is obsessed with turning under aged girls into potential sex symbols which breeds this behaviour.

"The reporter posted a photograph on the US-based website of a scantily-clad young woman" so surely they were encouraging theis behaviour.

the 1954 version of St Trinians depicted very naughty young ladies, and some with their stocking tops exposed causing George Cole to go into overdrive, but nothing as explicitly sexy as the film depicts Ms Riley after her "makeover" and the Mackie twins on "Top of the Form".
(I'm not complaining - but surely that's the point)

There has been only today a report over a 3, yes 3 year old girl wearing high heels!

We are our own worst enemies!

citycentre, manchester (19/11/2009 at 12:54)

There seem to be lots of stories about this recently, are they preparing to introduce some new law to monitor internet use, and using it as an excuse?

Englisc Stannes, North Manchester (19/11/2009 at 13:47)

I am just curious. I wonder how the large porn mag industries circulation, we have in newspaper shops are going. Before internet world, titillation for young teenagers were limited and some cases just scraps. Now with one unguarded click on the internet your swamped. So with the ease of saturation adult material, is it not un-expected that children with advent of modern media get caught in the trap. As mentioned earlier lots of television programmes have crossed over the border in adult material on regular soap series. Which I guess can cause youngsters to push the boundaries in titillation more easier. The type of person who would get this type of gratification is already dammed and not even bothered about where he or she gets their material from. The type of measures will have to be total censorship to try stem the flow. Plus larger prisons to cope with the mass of perverts needed. In a funny sort of way Mary Whitehouse had a sort of reversal effect on media by the push of television companies willing to expose more explicit contents.

better off red (19/11/2009 at 14:09)

this is from your website:

Perverts stalk girls on the web
Perverts stalk girls on the web 10 comments |

UNDERAGE girls are being bombarded with sexually explicit and abusive messages from men on via websites aimed at exclusively for teenagers, an investigation has found.

and next to it reads:

Beyonce falls for schoolboy fan Ellis
Beyonce falls for schoolboy fan Ellis 2 comments

SINGING superstar Beyonce wowed a sold-out crowd at the M.E.N. Arena last night – and left one lucky schoolkid on cloud nine after she serenaded him and even gave him a peck on the cheek.

you couldn't write this stuff

danicat, Manchester (19/11/2009 at 15:40)

Are you trying to imply something about Beyonce?

MUFC your skint and we know it , salford (19/11/2009 at 16:01)

the internet isnt dangerous its the people that use it who are dangerous after all how many times do young girls and boys have to be told about the dangers of meeting these sick people

Northen Bird :), Eccles (19/11/2009 at 16:09)

"Better off red"...we are talking about grown men grooming young girls, which is very wrong and disgusting, and you compare this to the story on Beyonce?

Almighty God, Salford (19/11/2009 at 16:17)

aint no girls on the internet, they're all in the kitchen...

Angie33 , Manchester (19/11/2009 at 16:22)

Maybe men can tell me why other men do this?Are every one of them potential sex offenders?Do men see signs of this behaviour in other men at an earlier age?Would it help for them to be challenged at an earlier age?I can go back years and remember men who encouraged youngsters to come to their home,supplying sweets,cigs,money whatever.I cant remember a single occasion when a man did anything about it,except ensure their own children werent involved.It comes from a culture of ignorance and innocence and of course simply not caring less.An accepance that every street had one.This is before the arrival of the internet.

Bertie McGrew , Northern Countryside (19/11/2009 at 16:45)

Angie33 - I would describe myself as a fairly typical bloke, mid 50s, average background, and I would suggest that no, not every male is a potential paedo.

Last night in the MEN there was a picture of 3 youngsters, 2 girls and a boy, and I can't remember what the story was about but as I looked at the pic I was staggered by the ages of one of the girls in the picture. I think both girls were listed as 12 and the lad 13, the story was about a community project I seem to recall, but one of the girls I initially took to be the group leader/teacher of the other two. Her "image" suggested that of a young woman not a very young girl.

While society continues to promote the emphasis of looking attractive and "sexy" on girls this young I am not surprised that more and more men are being drawn towards under aged girls. The two mentioned were 19 & 23.

When I was 19 we wouldn't consider a girlfriend under 17, and at 23 probably not under 20!

School girls were just that, geeky girls in pinafore dresses and big coats who went to a different school and were not talked to until you got to senior youth club at 14. Even then all you did was hang around in a group so that you didn't have to talk to one on your own.

But while we push younger and younger girls into the fashion limelight and they respond by becoming more aware of their sexuality, then we will bring more problems on ourselves.

This trend now is too far gone to reverse. Woodhey School in Ramsbottom recently introduced a trousers only rule for the girls, in order to stop the girls wearing skirts so short that it was almost indecent and to stop any embarrasment to the staff. This is probably the only thing that society can do now to attempt to turn little girls back into little girls.

We have created a sad sick society

Michael West, Manchester (19/11/2009 at 16:59)

Not sure about the St. Trinian's fantasy. I am worried about "scantily clad young women, posted on other profiles" - Am I stupid or profiles with scantily added profiles asking for trouble? What girl would put a scantily posed picture on a profile? No way.

The websafe campaign is about teaching parents to check whats going on, joining your childs facebook or bebo, so that you can see what messages are coming and going and blocking sites which will not take child safety carefully.

I can't see how this helps. It is no more shocking than a mad guy that tells jokes to bunches of schoolgirls at a bus stop. The sinister thing about the internet is grooming, hours and hours of chatting online where the victim is so santised to a sexual meeting in which anything can happen.

Most teenagers I know would know what to do with unsavoury talk and certainly wouldn't post scantily pix of themselves. Perents who can check bebo and facebook looks cooler than cool.

Angie33 , Manchester (19/11/2009 at 17:44)

Bertie Magrue.Sounds like you are blaming children for the sexual behaviour of adult males.The same things are often said with regard to rape and domestic violence.Are men so incapable of controlling their sexual impulses.Or should I say some men.Anyway.Thankyou for your response.If this is the view of adult males,what message does it send to teenage boys.

Angie33 , Manchester (19/11/2009 at 18:20)

Bertie McGrew.I caan also say that between the age of 11 and 12 ,as I was starting to get out and about on my own I experienced 4 incidents relating to sexual abusers.All betwen 40 and 50 and in some instances family men.As you say in those days children didnt wear sexy clothing.One incident was a flasher on a bus.Another happened at a swimming baths which could have been very serious had I decided to go into the cellar and see how things worked with a man who worked there for years,and had taken the fact that I was the last leaving the building as an opportunity.There were 2 other incidents that I cant go into.For most women I speak to this wasnt unusual.As soon as children are getting out and about,or in this day and age accessing the internet,they are there waiting-same as they always were.Its just that women and male child victims talk about it now,where in the past they would have been too shy,not believed or threatened.Im sure that in a few years time people who are children now will,as they become adults be telling their stories to the police.

Andy, Wythenshawe (19/11/2009 at 21:53)

This isn't news, the clubs and pubs are full of kids having sex with older men.

Teens and pre-teens have access to explicit sexual content via the web and soft porn on TV, what do people expect, the government and those that control the media are just as guilty as the individuals that target underage kids.

Blame those that have allowed the premature sexualisation of the children of this world.

Bertie McGrew , Northern Countryside (20/11/2009 at 11:37)

Angie - in no way am I trying to suggest that the child is in any way responsible. I am sorry if it came across that way. The ONLY person responsible for any sexual attack, be it male or female, is the attacker not the victim.

The point I unsucessfully tried to put across is that society is making little girls into objects of sexuality by dressing them far beyond their years.

I have a picture of my sister's 12th birthday party in 1963 and if you could see that and then see a typical 12 year old's birthday picture of today you would see what I mean.

Society is at fault and by that I mean, society has placed more images, more children than ever before in the path of the pervert, that more and more instances are occurring.

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