Ever think you are talking to a real star online? NAH! Most of us know that they don't have the time or the patience to talk to little ol' us, right? Recently, there have been several stars stating that they've actually joined dating apps like TInder. And along with all these leaked sex tapes, snap chats, and pics, maybe stars are like us and are reaching out to others on social media.
Have you talked to a star yet? Well, 'Never Say Never' may be what some children were thinking when they opened up and chatted with whom they thought was Justin Bieber. Now, the imposter is in jail for being too intimate online.
(CNN) – A man who allegedly posed as singer Justin Bieber online has been charged with more than 900 child sex offenses, including rape.
The 42-year-old man allegedly used multiple platforms — including Facebook and Skype — to communicate with his victims, Australian police said in a statement Thursday.
"The breadth of offenses committed in this instance are frankly horrendous," Queensland Detective Inspector Jon Rouse said.The man allegedly posed as Bieber in order to solicit explicit images from children under 16."This investigation demonstrates both the vulnerability of children that are utilizing social media and communication applications and the global reach and skill that child sex offenders have to groom and seduce victims," Rouse said.Police warned parents and Bieber fans to be extra vigilant when using the internet."The fact that so many children could believe that they were communicating with this particular celebrity highlights the need for a serious rethink about the way that we as a society educate our children about online safety," Rouse said.Police said they found a large amount of child exploitation material on the suspect's computer, and that his offending dates back at least 10 years. – cnn.com
I didn't see any use of pronouns for the victims, so we will have to wait to see if the victims were either male, female, or both.
Have you talked to a star before online?
Have you talked to someone claiming to be a star before?
h/t: cnn.com