A young schoolgirl has gotten herself into serious trouble after she was found out to have sent topless photos of herself to a pedophile.
File photo
According to a Metro UK report, a schoolgirl who sent topless photos of herself to an online paedophile has been told by the police she could face criminal charges.
The 12-year-old girl was groomed by the online predator after being targeted on Instagram.
The pervert demanded more and more explicit pictures and she relented before her family reported the police about the inappropriate contact.
Her iPad was taken for examination, she was interviewed and the matter was passed to child protection officers.
Her mother told the Mirror: ‘She’s the victim. She was coerced into sending it. There’s a paedophile out there yet they’re talking about criminalising a little girl.
‘She’s scared, upset, worrying about what is going to happen and I’m questioning if I did the right thing in reporting it.
‘My child is a victim of grooming but now she might be branded a criminal. If this is happening it could put other parents off reporting abuse. How many people actually knew this was the law?’
A National Crime Agency spokesman said: ‘We work with police forces to ensure robust action is taken against individuals with a sexual interest in children and young persons.
‘In this instance we understand the child sent an image of herself to another person. Creating or sharing explicit images of a child is illegal even if the person doing so is a child.
‘If a young person is found creating or sharing images, the police must record a crime has been committed in line with Home Office Counting Rules and investigate the circumstances.
‘Dependent upon those circumstances they have discretion not to take formal action if it isn’t in the public interest to do so.
‘Police are encouraged to take a common sense approach that does not criminalise children unnecessarily.’