PSNI investigating the “nature” of Facebook group showing schoolgirls in their uniforms
It's now been removed from the platform
The PSNI says the "nature" of a Facebook group showing images of school girls in their uniforms is under investigation.
The page, called '‘The Best School Girls’, has now been removed from the platform.
It featured photos of girls - some from Northern Ireland - taken from their own public accounts without permission.
The page described itself as “a group for sharing pictures of pretty girls in their school uniforms”, adding “genuine pictures only”.
Police here say they've received three reports to date about the page, however no criminal offence has been found because the photos were already open to the public and showed no nudity.
Detectives also say however, that the "nature" of the page is still under investigation and will remain open.
In a statement to Downtown/Cool FM a PSNI spokesperson said, “The Police Service of Northern Ireland has received three reports to date in relation to a Facebook page that has been set up called ‘The Best School Girls’ which shows images of girls from all over the world in their school uniform, taken from their own public social media accounts.”
“The reports made to the Police to date have been investigated and the images were found to have been posted by the page in question and taken from accounts already in the public domain.”
“Policing social media is complex and there are definitions of what constitutes a criminal offence in these online spaces. Offences online may include, pictures that show nudity of children or indecent images of children, threats to kill, threats to cause damage, criminal conduct amounting to harassment and comments that incite racial hatred, violence or rioting”
“As the photos investigated by the Police to date were already open to the public and showed no nudity, no criminal offence was found.”
“However, the nature of this page is still under investigation and will remain open. Police will continue to investigate and encourage anyone who is aware of images or commentary on this page that would constitute a criminal offence to come forward and report.”
“We understand the distress young people and their parents/guardians must feel when they see images taken from their own accounts and circulated on pages like this. We do not underestimate how difficult it must be and the urgency in which you would want those images removed.”
“All social media platforms have a duty of care to their users and we ask that those who use social media sites take steps to protect themselves and the copyright of their images”
- Always think carefully about any information you choose to share online as it leaves a digital footprint.
- Take time to set your privacy settings and check them regularly to stop people you don’t know accessing the information you choose to share on your own platforms.
- Be aware who you are adding or interacting with online.
- Choose a strong password and secure your accounts.
- Report to the social media platform any content you find inappropriate so action can be taken to remove this from the site.
We will continue to work in partnership with the Education Authority and schools to educate young people and their parents about the potential dangers online and how to navigate these social media platforms safely.