Police warning after indecent images of children were uploaded to TikTok

Cyber cops at Northumbria Police have called on parents to remain vigilant after a number of indecent images featuring children were uploaded to TikTok.
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Northumbria Police have called on parents to help after they were made aware of a number of indecent images featuring children had been uploaded to the social media platform TikTok.

The images, which were all user-generated, were flagged and removed by the social media company before being referred to Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command (CEOP) who passed it on to specialist officers.

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Detective Chief Inspector Sharon Chatterton, of Northumbria Police’s Cyber Crime team reassured the public there was no signs of wrong-doing but insisted that the situation could have easily became a lot worse.

Northumbria Police are urging parents to be aware of what their children are uploading online. Photo: PixabayNorthumbria Police are urging parents to be aware of what their children are uploading online. Photo: Pixabay
Northumbria Police are urging parents to be aware of what their children are uploading online. Photo: Pixabay
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She said: “While there is absolutely no suggestion these children have been involved in any form of grooming or sexual abuse, the images they have uploaded could have easily fallen in to the wrong hands.

“We know that children and young people love to use platforms like this to stay connected and to make fun videos, especially at this time.”

DCI Chatterton issued advice for parents to help keep children safe online.

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“It may be more suitable for your child to have a closed account rather than an open profile, meaning anyone could access their account.

“You wouldn’t leave your child unsupervised in a park miles from home, surrounded by strangers, so you shouldn’t let your children use apps unsupervised.”

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