Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) issued a safety message to parents and caregivers on Friday after revealing a “self-peer exploitation” case in Norfolk County.
Investigators say they received a complaint from a parent on Dec. 31 who said their 12-year-old daughter shared “inappropriate and sexually explicit images” with an unknown individual while using a mobile phone app.
“Everyone needs to realize the long- and short-term dangers when requests are made to send out sexually explicit photographs,” Const. Ed Sanchuk said.
“Those who distribute it also need to be aware of the criminal ramifications of doing so. Once it’s out there, you can’t get it back and you should not be embarrassed to speak to police about your concerns.”
Sanchuk went on to say that parents and teens can find out more about “self-peer exploitation” online at the Canadian Centre for Child Protection.