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

[daydream**believer]

Iza I dont thinks so, I'm talking about the 3 silly kids not john smith.

silly is right but not naughty.

[azureline**]

year 11? more like year 7

[daydream**believer]

This worries me:

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.

What sort of dad is going to take a kid to Adelaide to meet people he has talked to on FB?  And, it would be in the middle of the school term, wouldn't it?  And the kids would be in Year 11 or so?

And, meeting in a swimming pool?   

Nah, something's wrong here. 

yes, thats the first thing i said... What parent would take their kid half way across Australia to meet 3 other kids.

I also said why would John Smith, who, going by his fb page, is very cute and very popular, want a 13 year old girlfriend he has never met who lives in a different state.

The 3 kids are 13 years old. John Smith is claiming to be 15 years old

[daydream**believer]

year 11? more like year 7

Yes, Year 7

[aspie*mum]

I think you are doing the right thing in telling the other parent you know.  Perhaps ask what she thinks?  I would also contact the school, whilst I am unaware of how the school operates, I think that most schools would want to be aware of this type of behaviour!  I think contacting the police is a good idea BUT I would put money on it that they wont do a thing.

[happyroo_bunji]

silly is right but not naughty.

I agree, just silly.  Unfortunately teenagers don't have the same thought processes that we do.  For example with this issue IMO all that Tom, Jim and Sue see is a mate who wants to come and meet them.  However our more mature brains see the bigger picture and see that it is just strange nothing adds up.

DD I'm assuming your daughter is roughly 16yo.  If so, she is a wise one, good on her for coming to you with her concerns.

[izabsmiling]

Hopefully they do look into it Aspie Mum, this is from the cybersmart link up there

More information is available from the Australian Federal Police which investigates suspected cases of online grooming.

Educating children and young people about the potential threats posed by others online will help them to protect themselves from unwanted online contact.

[katydidthat]

The 3 kids are 13 years old. John Smith is claiming to be 15 years old

Ah, I read in the OP that the Smith character was 16 and I presumed the other kids were the same age.  

13 years old?  Call the police.  

I have a 15 year old son.  THERE IS NO WAY HE would be interested in a 13 year old girl in Adelaide.  There is NO way that I would take him to Adelaide to meet her.   

[daydream**believer]

sorry yes, John Smith is claiming to be 16 and is wanting to be friends with three 13 year old strangers

[kilroy_is_here]

Amy do not delay go to the police today, if this is a peadophile & he has reached the stage of feeling out the waters for a meet & greet , then he considers that the grooming is suffiecently complete that he can now move to the capture, the police need time to build a profile & a case against this guy ,IF he is  preditor that will take time, if he is actualy a 15 year old then you have lost nothing by going to the police