Social media and the internet have always been dangerous places for children, especially when their online activities are not monitored carefully.
A Malaysian parent learned this the hard way when their 7-year-old daughter had been exposed to sexual content after they were added to a WhatsApp group that was linked to a game that their daughter plays online.
Taking to their Reddit account, SoFarSoFail shared how they were shocked to find that their number was added to a WhatsApp group that shared sexual content among minors, after their 7-year-old daughter had apparently clicked on an automatic invite link in a game that she plays.
They wrote, “Guys, my number keeps getting invited into random WhatsApp groups. It’s mostly by an Indonesian group, judging by the way they communicate. Usually, I don’t really take it seriously, and just leave and report the group.”
“But, this time, it’s worse. A pedo group with a girlish cartoon background. To make it worse, my 7-year-old daughter was using it during that time. They sent her NSFW pictures and tried to groom her. It happened so fast, I only realised it after half an hour.”
They added that there are other young boys and girls in the group as well.
SoFarSoFail chose not to leave the WhatsApp group in the hopes that action can be taken against the predators in the group
“What should I do to stop this? How can I disable my number from getting invited to random WhatsApp groups? Should I just report and leave the group? Or does making a police report help?” they asked
SoFarSoFail also clarified that the WhatsApp group’s name is the same as a game that their daughter plays, Avatar World, and that their daughter had apparently clicked on an auto invite link to the WhatsApp group.
“I googled the link and found out that it’s been posted and shared everywhere, on ‘kid-friendly’ videos (on platforms) such as TikTok, YouTube and in games.”
Redditors have since advised SoFarSoFail to change their WhatsApp settings to only allow their contacts to invite them to join groups.
It’s truly scary to think that there are adults lurking around child-centric internet pages to lure them into their traps.
We genuinely hope that parents will pay more attention towards their child’s activities on the internet to avoid them from falling prey to predators.
Also read: Here’s Why M’sians Need To Watch This Movie About The Experiences Of A Pedophilia Victim