Police have launched an investigation after schoolchildren were sent explicit images and videos on Facebook.
Parents of pupils at St Martin’s School, Caerphilly, were sent a letter on Thursday July 7 from the school’s lead safeguard officer, warning them that several pupils from local schools had been sent the material after accepting a friend request from an account under the name of ‘Lamin Limo’.
In the letter, which was also posted on the St Martin’s School Facebook page, the school said that along with the explicit material, children had received “messages that have made them feel very uncomfortable” and encouraged parents to monitor their children’s social media use.
Inspector Andy O’Keefe, of Gwent Police, said officers have been contacted by concerned parents.
He said: “Investigations have established that in many cases the young person has accepted a friend request from a Facebook account ‘Lamin Limo’ without knowing who this person is, we have also discovered that security settings on many accounts have allowed the ‘Lamin Limo’ user to access personal information.
“Enquires are on-going to identify the account user but in the meantime, I would ask all parents who have children that use Facebook to be mindful of the age guidelines for Facebook and social media.
“If your children are using these sorts of accounts, encourage them not to accept friends requests from anyone they don’t know and to review their security settings – we are also encouraging parents to openly discuss internet safety with their children.
“Schools liaison officers will be attending the school to reiterate the advice on internet security. I would encourage parents and guardians to access www.schoolbeat.org and/or the CEOPS (Child Exploitation Online Protection Service) www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents for further help and guidance. If anyone has any information on this incident, please contact Gwent Police on 101.”
Facebook has told Caerphilly Observer that they have raised the page in question and are currently investigating.