A social media safety expert has warned that paedophiles have come up with “new and novel ways” of gaining access to children’s information online.
As reported by the Irish Mirror, Dr Maureen Griffin – also a forensic psychologist – said that fake accounts on social media platforms have been used by offenders in order to obtain information about children.
Speaking in a presentation for the Ennis Mental Health Association, Dr Griffin explained that she had encountered cases where some fake accounts pretending to be chicken nuggets and ice-cream had been set up targeting children of primary school age:
“At primary school level, I have dealt with accounts set up pretending to be chicken nuggets and ice-cream in order to friend children.”
In another example, Dr Griffin explained how an offender had set up a fake profile pretending to be a road outside a girls’ high school.
“Over 400 girls at the school accepted the road as a friend. The owner of the account was a known convicted sex offender who made no effort to contact the girls, he didn’t follow them or meet them in real life or wait outside their school.
“He simply collected their photos, pictures from teenage discos, girls’ sleepovers and a range of selfies.”
Dr Griffin added that the best way of protecting children online is for parents and carers to make sure they are aware of who follows them on social media sites.
