Ask Sam letter

Hi there,

Thank you for your message. You have been brave writing to me about this. It sounds like you’re already feeling like something’s not quite right about the way this man is acting. To answer your question, yes, this is a form of sexual abuse (especially if you are under 18 and this man is a lot older than you). It’s completely wrong for anyone much older to talk to you in a sexual way or ask you for sexual pictures. This kind of behaviour is called grooming and it’s against the law. The counsellors at ChildLine tell me that people like him are very good at tricking younger people into feeling safe enough to send pictures of themselves. I’m relieved to hear that you didn’t meet him, as this could have put you in a very dangerous situation.

Online safety is very important. I would recommend that you think about reporting this man to CEOP. They work with the police to help protect young people from being harmed by anyone online. Unfortunately, there is a good chance that he is also asking other young people for naked pictures. You can take a look at CEOP’s website for more advice. They also have a page where you could report what this man did if you decide to do that. There is also information on the sexual abuse and sexting pages in Explore that you may find useful.

You do not have to go through this on your own. You could speak to a trusted adult who you feel comfortable talking to about this. It could be a teacher, parent/guardian, or anyone you think could help you. You may like some help with the choices you would like to make and it could be helpful to talk this through with a ChildLine counsellor. They have a free phone number (0800 1111) or you can get in touch by logging in for a 1-2-1 chat. They won’t tell you what to do but will be happy to talk through any options you might have.

Thanks again for writing to me,

Take care.

Sam