MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – The Memphis Police Department is urging parents and guardians to keep their kids informed about online safety following the arrest of a man accused of pretending to be a teen on Snapchat and messaging a 13-year-old.
Breon Collins, 32, is charged with aggravated kidnapping and rape after being found in a car with the undressed victim in a Northeast Memphis neighborhood on Christmas Eve.
The victim told police she was messaging Collins on Snapchat, believing he was also a teen. Collins used Snapchat’s location-sharing feature to find her home, police said.
“This individual contacted his victim via social media, and so that’s why it’s very important as a parent, if you allow your child to have access to social media or a phone, that you’re very involved with what your child is into,” said Officer Theresa Carlson, MPD public information officer.
MPD says predators often use social media and messaging apps to deceive and target minors.
“Our Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force specializes in these cases. That’s all they concentrate on is crimes that involve children, involve the internet, involve social media,” Carlson said.
They encourage parents to know what apps are on their child’s phone, talk regularly about online safety, and consider parental controls or monitoring tools.
“You can keep them from being able to download apps. You can keep them from being able to delete apps. And there are great monitoring apps out there that will send you reports on what your child’s doing,” Carlson said.
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