Vigilance plea after boy asked to post nude pictures to Facebook

The boy's mother complained to police that her son was asked to send naked photos of himself to an unknown Facebook user. Photo / Thinkstock

Parents and children have been warned to be more vigilant when using social media sites after a 12-year-old boy from Christchurch was allegedly threatened by an unknown Facebook user.

The boy's mother complained to the police in Canterbury that her son was asked to send naked photos of himself to an unknown Facebook user who had added him as a friend.

When the boy refused to send photos, the Facebook user responded in a threatening manner, police were told.

Constable Mike Kneebone said police knew of at least one other boy, outside Canterbury, who had been approached by the same user.

"We ask anyone else who has been approached in a similar way to contact us as their information may provide information that is vital to this ongoing investigation."

Mr Kneebone said while this incident involved Facebook, there were risks involved with any social media platform.

The Online Child Exploitation Agency of New Zealand (Oceanz) received reports of grooming and inappropriate contact by online predators almost every day, he said.

The officer in charge of Oceanz, Detective Senior Sergeant John Michael, advised parents to monitor their children's online activity and teach them about internet safety.

Parents and children could protect themselves by checking privacy settings on social media platforms and declining friend requests from unknown people, he said.

"Be aware of stranger danger when you're online and do not engage in conversations with people you don't know - and never take and send a photo of yourself to them."