Investigation reveals pedophilia in the child influencer industry

New York Times investigation It found that dozens of would-be pedophiles widely exploited the child influencer industry, passing themselves off as photographers or social media experts to get close to children.

One of these men, Michael Allen Walker, reportedly promised mothers that their daughters would gain a large following on Instagram under his supervision. He ran his business from a state prison, where he was serving a 20-year sentence for child sexual exploitation. Walker also bragged on Telegram, where many of these men communicate, that he had seen sexual images of influential children, according to the report.

According to the investigation, men gain the trust of mothers by walking a fine line and suggesting pictures of their children that do not contain explicit nudity. Other times, men reportedly offered money for used children’s clothing or for photos that were not on the child’s account.

Ryan Daniels, a spokesman for Meta, told the New York Times that there are protections in place for teen accounts to limit interactions with strangers. For minor accounts managed by a parent, the parent has control over privacy settings, content, and how the account interacts with other accounts.