Promises of a modelling career used to lure girls
Sex pests are bullying learners at an Afrikaans secondary school in the city - and most likely at other schools too - trying to force these learners to send them photos of themselves in which they are either scantily clad or naked.
POLOKWANE – Sex pests are bullying learners at an Afrikaans secondary school in the city – and most likely at other schools too – trying to force these learners to send them photos of themselves in which they are either scantily clad or naked.
A warning was issued by the school to learners not to fall into this trap after several girls told their parents and the school’s councillor about the scam when they were threatened by these sex pests on the internet.
The people involved are using social websites such as Facebook and its shared friends function to contact girls, asking them if they are interested in becoming models. The name of a well-known modelling agency with branches throughout the country is being used to coerce the learners to first send an ordinary photo to the “agent”, who will supposedly send it to the talent scouts.
A photo of the learner in a bikini is then requested, and then in lingerie, as “it is the same as a photo in a bikini”. The girls are being told it is urgent and requested to send the photos as soon as possible.
The girl is told that she has just the right face for the look they are searching for and is requested to send a topless photo or a photo of herself naked to them, as they want to determine the cup size of her breasts. If she refuses, they give her the option, as she is shy, to just send a photo “from the neck downwards.”
Should the girl still refuse, they then start threatening her : “We want to see boobs!”, saying they will place a photo on the internet and inform her friends that she sent these photos to them. At this stage the sex pests already have the girl’s contact details such as cell phone numbers or BBM pins, as the girls have been expecting to receive their contracts for a photo shoot.
The sex pest then starts sending messages using dirty words for private parts to the girls, saying they like these parts of young girls. Traumatised learners told their parents and the school’s councillor about the messages and what had happened.
Juanita Marx, councillor at Hoërskool Pietersburg (PHS), told Review the parents and school are very worried about the situation, as they fear that some learners may be stalked.
“The matter has not been reported to the police as the girls were mortified because they fell for the sex pests’ scam. It starts off totally innocent with pro-mises being made of a lucrative modelling career awaiting the girls,” Marx says.
Boys are now being targeted by a person (whose name is known to Review) who is allegedly a cricket and rugby coach and wants to compile a team to play a charity match in aid of cancer victims. Boys are first asked to sent a photo of their naked upper bodies to the person.
Review’s investigation revealed that a profile of the so-called coach is on the internet on Facebook.
Of two other names supplied, one was taken off the internet and Facebook, while the other name supplied led to a Facebook profile and several hardcore pornographic sites featuring explicit photos and videos.
Marx advises that the internet and social websites should be used with caution and users should not tell all and sundry about their feelings on social websites, but rather tell a parent or a good friend they could trust.
Marx volunteered to talk to learners at other schools about the issue. She can be contacted at PHS.
