“Shocking: 12-Year-Old’s Gaming Buddy Wasn’t Who He Seemed – A Tech Safety Wake-Up Call for Parents”

As a generation of young people has grown up immersed in technology, older teenagers and adults are now voicing their concerns about the challenges they’ve faced and the abuse they’ve experienced while using digital platforms.

One such individual is Harrison Hayes, a technology safety advocate who fell victim to online grooming at the tender age of 12. Hayes encountered an individual claiming to be an older teenager through online gaming. After cultivating a relationship with Hayes, this supposed “teenager” began sharing inappropriate content with him.

“The way our friendship developed was so gradual that it didn’t feel like I was interacting with a stranger. It felt more like I had found a mentor or an older brother figure,” Hayes, now a 20-year-old university student, explained to GOOD MORNING AMERICA. “I found myself connecting with him on a deeper level than with my schoolmates, as he was always there to support me when I faced bullying.”

However, the nature of their interaction shifted as the “teenager” increased communication frequency from occasional to multiple daily texts, and began exposing Hayes to explicit sexual material.

“Suddenly, I was receiving messages throughout the school day,” Hayes recounted. “He gradually started introducing me to disturbing content like self-harm imagery and pornographic videos. As a 12-year-old, it was my first exposure to such material.”

“When the friendship took a dark turn and he began sharing images of self-harm and pornography, I felt I couldn’t reach out to an adult anymore,” he continued. “The taboo nature and stigma surrounding these topics made me hesitant to approach a principal, counselor, or even my parents, fearing I’d get into trouble.”

This unhealthy dynamic persisted for months until Hayes’ parents caught him texting the “teenager” late one night.

“They told me they had seen everything, but surprisingly, they weren’t angry or upset with me as I had feared. They sat me down and explained that I was being manipulated,” Hayes shared. “I don’t think anyone in our circle had the vocabulary to describe grooming at that time. We weren’t familiar with the concept yet.”

Fortunately, the “teenager” hadn’t requested explicit photos from Hayes, but this is often the path these predators lead their victims down. Such images are then used for blackmail, demanding more photos or even money.

Hayes’ experience is sadly becoming increasingly common as more children are targeted by these malicious individuals. By sharing his story, he hopes to raise awareness and inspire changes to protect the next generation from similar experiences.

“For generations, American children have been warned about strangers in white vans offering candy,” Hayes remarked. “But for my generation, the danger isn’t lurking in a van. The threat is in our pockets, coming from our smartphones.”

Familyguide previously reported on child safety:

Apple recently announced a new feature that blurs nudity found in iMessages.

Months after its debut in the U.S. with iOS 15.2, Apple plans to integrate the new safety feature in the UK, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia.

The technology scans devices owned by young users for potentially sexually explicit images received or sent via iMessage.

One motivation could be due to an increase of child sex abuse material (CSAM) shared among younger users during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite privacy concerns from opposition to the safety feature, Apple notes that the CSAM scanning does not look at pre-existing data but matches new content with material provided by child safety organizations.