Police warn of internet stranger danger

Police will warn a Hastings-based internet user after he befriended more than 50 Invercargill schoolgirls, including falsely arranging to meet one girl, via social networking site Facebook.

Invercargill youth services Sergeant Phil Berryman said yesterday the user, who claims to be a 17-year-old male, had not technically committed any offences, but he had misled the girls into believing he was in Invercargill

His ruse was exposed when one of the girls went to a house in the city after he arranged to meet her.

"He gave a false address. She went to that address and the people there had no idea who or what she was talking about."

The girl then told her high school guidance counsellor, who last week told police youth education officer Paul Frith.

Mr Frith, who was visiting the school, then discovered "50-plus" other girls, all under 16, had contact with the male on Facebook, Mr Berryman said.

Invercargill police had phoned the male and it was likely Hastings-based officers would warn him about his behaviour, he said.

There was no indication his Facebook profile was false, but being misleading about his whereabouts was concerning, Mr Berryman said.

Asked if the male was grooming the girls for some sort of gratification, he said it had "come close".

The case highlighted the adage "don't talk to strangers" applied as much online as it did in the street, Mr Berryman said. "The concern really is for young people and their parents to be aware of what Facebook users open themselves up to."

He urged parents and their children to be mindful of online privacy.

Internet watchdog NetSafe executive director Martin Cocker said social networking environments enabled users to cast a "very wide net".

Meanwhile, Mr Berryman said investigations were continuing into a virtual flasher who had sent Invercargill girls cellphone images of his penis alongside obscene text messages.

Once that male had been traced via the cellphone's number it was likely he would face charges, he said.

- © Fairfax NZ News