Schoolgirl, eight, victim of sextortion by person pretending to be primary pupil

An eight-year-old primary school pupil in Edinburgh has been the victim of sextortion.

Parents at Gilmerton Primary School have been warned that a person has been impersonating pupils on social media platform Snapchat.

The headteacher has written to families and urged them to them to check their children’s social media and to “screenshot, block and report” any suspicious accounts.

The girl’s mother said she wanted to make others aware of what had been going on.

It’s understood that the child was contacted on her personal device while at home.

Police Scotland confirmed officers were investigating reports of indecent images being shared online.

Alet Bouwer, headteacher at Gilmerton, said: “Dear Gilmerton families, I am writing to inform you that we are aware of an ongoing situation with regards to a person impersonating pupils on social media (specifically Snapchat).

“We are working very closely with our colleagues from the Child Protection team within Police Scotland on this matter.

“Please do check all your children’s social media accounts. Screenshot, block and report any suspicious accounts and report this to Police Scotland.

“We are also more than happy to answer any questions and signpost families to information about online safety.”

Councillor Joan Griffiths, Education, Children and Families convener, said: “I was shocked and extremely upset to hear that a child has been subjected to this – and disgusted that anyone could be capable of such a thing. I hope whoever is responsible is caught quickly and feels the full force of the law.

“We are offering our full support to the child and her family while reminding all parents to remain vigilant and help keep their children safe online. If you have any cause for concern, please contact Police Scotland immediately.”

A Snapchat spokesperson said: “Any sexual exploitation of young people is horrific and illegal, and our hearts go out to the victims in this case. If we are made aware of such activity, whether through our proactive detection efforts or confidential in-app reporting tools, we remove it, lock the violating account, and report it to authorities.

“Snapchat is for people aged 13 and over and we have extra safeguards in place to prevent strangers from being able to easily find or search for teens. Our Family Centre also lets parents see who their teen is friends with and talking to on Snapchat.”

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “An investigation is under way after we received several reports in February relating to indecent images being shared on an online platform in Edinburgh.

“Enquiries are ongoing and we are working closely with a number of partner agencies.”