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A Snapchat group with 50 local children in it is believed to contain harmful images, according to Guernsey Police.
Law Enforcement wants parents to talk to their children about this group and whether they are included on it.
"The group is believed to be sharing language with strong sexual or violent language and sexual images and may also be encouraging children to share indecent images of themselves," said Guernsey Police.
"The social media app has an age restriction of 13+ however officers are aware that this doesn’t always deter families from using it. An investigation is currently ongoing into this matter, and enquiries continue."
DSDO Laura Simpson said: “SnapChat is not suitable for children at all. The age restriction of 13+ clearly isn’t deterring families from allowing their children into this environment, and that is putting children at serious risk of sexual exploitation. Although SnapChat has some parental controls, they are never going to be as effective as honest, open conversations with your families about what to do if you receive unwanted contact.”
Guernsey Police have issued the following advice:
1) Make use of parental controls, including making sure your child can’t be added to a group without their consent.
2) Remove all children under the age of 13 from SnapChat. Use children’s real ages and dates of birth when signing up.
3) Regularly monitor what your child is receiving. Paid monitoring services such as Bark (bark.us) can support families.
4) Report any harmful content to the app using www.reportharmfulcontent.com
5) Take screenshots of any harmful content
6) Report to Police on 222222
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