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

[cherry*135]

The father scenario doesn't work.. no father would use their sons facebook page (if it was a genuine page) to lure 13yo girls.. to easy to trace back to the son and father, plus the son himself would see what his father was up to most likely.

Driving down from Newcastle to Adelaide and meeting the new  FB friends at a swimming pool is just plain weird and anyone is right to be suspicious about that. Especially as the Adelaide kids are 13yo. They should be telling him, my parents won't let me meet people I don't know at a swimming pool or public place.

The person behind the facebook page most likely lives in Adelaide and can catch a bus etc to the pool and pretend his Dad dropped him off....

[cherry*135]

If you save a photo (one of the 16yo off his FB a/c if you have access to the photos) on to your computer and then go to the tineye site. If that photo is anywhere else on the internet itineye will come up with those photos too.

[nevynreally]

this sounds like a plot to a movie.

 Yes, and some here are thinking popcorn when it's actually serious.

Good on you daydream*believer. Even if you're wrong you'll be able to sleep at night knowing you're doing the right thing.

[crystal**flake]

This does sound like a movie I saw not long ago.

[nevynreally]

This does sound like a movie I saw not long ago.

Previously your ID didn't like their offspring despite being over 18  being out of their sight, but this scenario is like a movie?

And posting this time of day. Aren't you usually late night? Although of late you've stepped in earlier. Do you have issues with people discussing their concerns? Asking if they're on the right track with their thinking? 

[happyroo_bunji]

What you really need to find out, is how John managed to find and add Tom or Jim as a friend.. 

If thier profile is set to public, its easy

[azureline**]

If thier profile is set to public, its easy

yes, and if their parents supervised them, it might not be so easy? I am amazed at the public profiles of 13 yo's.

[cherry*135]

If thier profile is set to public, its easy

It would have been random (especially if this person is a perve/pedo/creep)... send out lots of friend requests and see who accepts them.

If this person does live in Adelaide, then they could just have approached Adelaide teens.

[chuk_77]

most of them set facebook to public so their friends can find them easily

My niece had hers public, I snooped then yelled at her as her mobile was posted for a friend.

Told her she needs to secure her settings and she said no coz her school friends wont be able to find her or see what other friends write.

crazy girl

DDB. You are doing the right thing. Good on you and your daughter

[getting_of_wisdom]

Considering this arrest on the weekend, I feel you can be confident you will not be ignored by the police, ddb: http://www.smh.com.au/queensland/child-sex-predator-arrested-in-brisbane-20130204-2dtcu.html

If you're not happy with their reaction, contact crimestoppers - link in that article - or Task Force Argos.

I suspect if the proposed meeting at the pool did go ahead, he would not turn up, but follow the girl home to see where she lives.