Midlothian primary children 'told to send explicit photos' in WhatsApp group
Midlothian children were added to a WhatsApp group and 'told to send explicit photographs'.
Police are investigating after six children at Paradykes Primary in Loanhead were urged 'not to let parents know' when they were added into a group chat. The pupils targeted were aged between nine and 10-years-old.
Midlothian Council said the children were being offered support, with parents alerted of the incident in an email. They confirmed the group had not been accessed using council-issued devices, reports the Daily Record.
Parents were sent a warning to check their children's phones and remove them from the group after some children were understood to have been added on their personal devices.
An email from the school's head teacher said some of the messages were "highly inappropriate, referring explicitly to body parts" and "requesting nude photos", according to BBC News.
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It said that 84 people were members of the group, warning it "went beyond" children solely from Paradykes. A Midlothian Council spokesperson said: "The head teacher at Paradykes Primary emailed P6 parents today after a parent reported concerns about the online safety of children on a WhatsApp group.
"A council investigation confirmed the group was not on council devices. The head teacher has passed the matter to the police, and the council will issue guidance to all parents in Midlothian on how to keep their child safe online.
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"Support is available to any Paradykes Primary School pupil upset by this incident, if required."
WhatsApp guidelines state the messaging service should not be used by anyone under 13 after being lowered from 16 last year.
Police Scotland is making enquiries into the incident.
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