Police Warn Parents Not To Post Pictures Of Children On Facebook

German police have warned parents not to post pictures of their children publicly on Facebook in case they are used by paedophiles.

Hagen Police posted a message on their own Facebook page that advised parents to check their privacy settings to make sure only friends could see their photos.

They claimed that pictures of children on a public profile could be saved and altered by child abusers.

The force added that the pictures could also prove to be a source of embarrassment to children when they get older.

They wrote: “Maybe you think these photos are cute now, but your child will find them endlessly embarrassing in a couple of years.”

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) welcomed the advice.

They said in a statement: “All parents should feel free to enjoy taking photos of their children and sharing them with friends and family.

“However, we should all be careful when posting photos online.

"We know that sex offenders are able to doctor innocent family photos of children, and developments in photo editing software have made this easier.

"So if parents do publish photos of their children online, they should take care to ensure that they have checked their privacy settings and are happy about who can see and share them.”

The charity advised any parent who is worried that a picture of their child had fallen into the wrong hands should contact the Internet Watch Foundation, the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (Ceop) or NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000.

Pics: Facebook