Dilemma. What would you do?

[daydream**believer]

Ok, this is quite a long story. I hope it makes sense. **Real names have not been used**

On the weekend, my daughter came to me  and said "Mum, theres something odd going on with some of my friends that i want to talk to you about cause im a bit worried"

She tells me that 3 of her friends (lets call them Tom, Jim and Sue) have made friends on facebook with a boy (lets call him John) they dont know who lives in Newcastle. Tom, Jim and Sue live in Adelaide.

Tom became friends with John first by receiving an out of the blue friend request from him.

John claims to be a 16 year old boy. His facebook page has lots of photos of him with heaps of friends. He's quite a good looking kid.

Tom think John is so cool and, via facebook, introduces him to Jim and Sue.

John strikes up quite a friendship with Sue and last week asked her to be his girlfriend. Sue is completely infatuated with John.

John has now said that his dad is going to bring him to Adelaide in a couple of weeks to meet Tom, Jim and Sue.

He has even said that a great place for them to all meet up would be the local swimming pool.

None of this sits right with me. Why a kid in Newcastle (a popular, good looking one according to his facebook page) would need to make friends with strangers in Adelaide. Would want one of them to be his girlfriend and then get his dad to bring him all the way over here to meet them.

Im not sure if you are all aware of the of the Carly Ryan story, but it is making me quite nervous about whats going on.

Carly Ryan- http://au.news.yahoo.com/today-tonight/lifestyle/article/-/7013312/internet-predators/

I know Jim's mother quite well and am going to talk to her about it all tomorrow. I know she has no idea who Jim talks to on facebook.

Im wondering, should i go to the police? They could at least investigate if John is real. I thought about going to the school, but all they would do is give a talk about internet predators and the kids would ignore it.

Over the weekend, my daughter tried to talk to Tom and Jim about the risks but they just didnt get it. They think John is so cool.

The whole "better to be safe than sorry" phrase keeps popping in my head.

Oh, and by the way, John's last name on facebook in Smith

[kengillard]

exactly Kilroy!

[lakeland27]

the pool is the thing that sticks out. conversations about pools ... who has pics from the pool ..who looks hot in the swimming cossie etc. its a common tecnique, thats why it looks bad.

[izabsmiling]

Well said Killroy .

The other of things really stick out to me too.The sequence of things ..

Friend invite from a stranger, time (in days) spent chatting on fb for a while, then asking girl to be his  girlfriend and now 'his dad' just happens to be coming to Adelaide .

[*mrgrizz*]

yes go to the police

if they don't want to do anything.

if the "meet"does go ahead take hubby to the pools that day to monitor the situation.

but i doubt other parents will let it happen after you tell them

[*mrgrizz*]

i had trouble getting my dad to drive me to the shop.......let alone another state to meet a girl:^O

[kilroy_is_here]

popular 15 year old boys do not talk to unpopular 15 year old boys, let alone talk to13 year old boys, the maturity levels between the to would be to great, they may talk to 13 year old girls  but even then i would question why, it all adds up wrong

[daydream**believer]

I'll stick with my plan at this stage.

I'll talk to Jim's mum tomorrow and see what she thinks.

I will go to the police, either with Jim's mum or without.

[izabsmiling]

Amy, I am glad that you will do something.I admit to being frustrated that now you have bought it to our attention you are going to wait to contact the police about it.I want to do it now myself...but I can't.

[ashjoma]

I don't have time to read all the replies, but I would say 'no way'.

My kids and a friend had someone in the park expose themselves (fully naked)

and do something else in front of them as well (I am sure you can imagine what that was, I can't say here).

Also wearing just a ski mask.

so I am really on edge about my kids and their safety

.

[givemeaspell]

too many alarm bells ringing.  Another possibility is that John is not a stranger but another kid from school/area that is trying to make these 3 look like fools (that's the better scenario anyway).  You are definitely doing the right thing telling the mother and also the police.

check out www.cybersmart.gov.au or the police assistant line 131 444 and have a chat to someone there.  You've got a great daughter there DDB u should be proud which I am sure u are!