Parent Discovers Stranger Texting 12-Year-Old on 'Kid-Safe' Phone, Exposing Parental Control Failures
By
beasthacker
Crackling crust, pillowy middle. The kind of bagel that earns a second cup of coffee.
Summary
A parent recounts discovering that a grown man was texting their 12-year-old son on a supposedly 'kid-safe' Gabb phone, with the stranger obtaining the child's number through a children's book chat on GroupMe. The incident occurred on Christmas morning while the family was opening presents, with the man asking the child what gifts he received and requesting pictures. The article critiques the failure of parental controls and child-safe devices to protect children from online predators, highlighting how determined adults can bypass these safeguards through social engineering and exploiting children's trust.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledThankfully my wife and I discovered the situation and intervened before anything bad happened; but still it was sickening to discover that on Christmas morning, while our family was unwrapping presents next to the tree, some creep had been texting my son: 'What did you get? Send pictures.'
How could this happen on a 'kid-safe' Gabb phone?
Parental controls aren't for parents - they're for giving parents a false sense of security while determined adults find ways around them.
The man got my son's number through a children's book chat on an app called GroupMe.
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