A KZN family called for help after a man who met their teenage daughter on Instagram and threatened her arrived at their home.
In the digital era, children can use their devices to interact with strangers on social media.
For a 13-year-old girl from Phoenix, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), what began as an online friendship with a man on Instagram turned into a nightmare when he shared explicit content, threatened her, and tracked her down.
On Monday afternoon, officers from Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa) were called to a residence after an Instagram follower, who had threatened the girl’s life, was discovered outside her home at approximately 3.17 pm.
KZN teen’s stalking outside her home
When the officers arrived at the home, the 18-year-old man had fled the scene in a white Toyota Corolla. The girl’s family had also locked themselves inside the house.
The perpetrator has been identified as a resident of Kenville, in KZN, and works for a catering company.
Rusa spokesperson Prem Balram said the family told the officers that their Grade 8 daughter had been chatting to a man who befriended her on Instagram in April 2024.
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The teen’s interaction with the man turned dark when the man allegedly repeatedly sent her nude images and homemade pornographic videos via WhatsApp and requested nudes from the girl.
“The girl became concerned for her safety when the suspect stalked her at school and on excursions and knew her whereabouts,” Balram said.
“He then threatened her with exposing her nudes and demanded money.”
Man, 18, threatened to expose teen’s explicit images for money
In South African law, sexually explicit photographs, videos and communications, including those sent between minors under the age of 18, may be classified as child pornography, and the taker of the image, the recipient of the image, and anyone who shares the content may be charged and found guilty of crimes.
Unfortunately, the teenage girl has shared personal details with the man, who used the information to track down her residential address and the work locations of her parents.
The situation escalated to threats of kidnapping and murder.
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Balram said Rusa is in possession of several pornographic videos made by the suspect in his home, as well as images and videos of the perpetrator pleasuring himself, and several texts of death threats sent to the minor.
Reaction officers have obtained facial images of the suspect, which have been forwarded to the police.
The Department of Basic Education (DBE) warned of the safety risks of meeting with online predators.
Risks linked to online predators
“The internet is a great space and resource for children and teenagers, giving them access to a wealth of information and interaction owing to a vast array of platforms, including social media, email and text messaging,” the department said in April.
“Unfortunately, with this vast access lies the safety risk of meeting with online predators. Online predators are adults who often, in a sexually motivated way, approach children and teenagers online to exploit their innocence and inexperience.”
Such behaviour exposes children to the risks of trafficking and child sexual exploitation.
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