I am NOT the Original Poster. That is stuari. They posted in r/RBI.

Thanks to u/BakingGiraffeBakes for the rec.

Do NOT comment on Original Posts. Latest update is 7 days old. Read trigger warning

Trigger Warnings: child predation; misuse of photos; sharing private photos of children

Mood Spoiler: scary, unsettling and unfortunately not super resolved.

Original Post: November 7, 2023

I’m an independent journalist who is working on a few pieces regarding child abuse and exploitation. By following the source of some instagram photos, I discovered a lot of disturbing accounts. One of which is an “uncle” who is actively posting photos of the various minors in his family.. particularly of one girl who is his “favorite.” What is particularly concerning is that he is doxing this girl by posting photos of her from sporting events (revealing her location and school by extension,) her name, her teammates’ names, that she is a twin, etc.

Her school has a tip line and I already shared with them that their sporting events are being publicized on such a website. However.. I feel personally concerned about the girl and her family. Is there anything else I can do?

Some of OOP's Comments:

Commenter: You need to talk to her parents asqp.

OOP: Unfortunately, these are people I do not know and it is in a state that I don’t live. I don’t know how to contact her parents or I definitely would.

Commenter: Why would a journalist need to be told to call police?

OOP: I guess I’m just not sure of internet laws/specific jurisdictions.. especially because it is a russian website (the guy and his family are definitely located in the united states though.) I can’t provide her last name.. just her first name and what school she attends. Do you think their local police would still benefit from the limited info?

Commenter: I don’t think it is illegal if these are fully clothed pictures for him to upload these pictures to the website unfortunately. I say that because I don’t know the content you’ve found but the police may not be able to do anything so you’d have to just let the parents know yourself if that is the case.

OOP: this is the main issue. they are not “explicit” but suggestive (lots of beach, hot tub, swim team, feet photos, etc.) the comments, however, are extremely sexual and express a clear motive to why they are posted. especially with a the user also advertising his encrypted email address.

Commenter: FBI tip line for CSAM.

OOP: I think this is probably the next step I will take

Commenter: PROBABLY?!?! you need to

OOP: I meant, out of all of the options suggested, this is what makes the most sense with it being international and not directly explicit.

Commenter: Using the term journalist loosely if you need to turn to Reddit about what to do in this situation

OOP: You’re not wrong, but I felt as if I should provide some context into how I came upon this. Though I’m not a journalist by trade with a lot of experience or resources, I am a writer who is passionate about bringing awareness to this particular subject.. even if only to a few people. I was trying to research a more general topic and never imagined I would stumble upon the very intimate and specific details of a young girl’s life. I want to do right by her and thought it important to consult.

Commenter: If you are researching the ways children are exploited, it feels irresponsible not to be aware of how to report it. Frankly, avenues for reporting should be part of the piece, but I imagine that is up to an editor.

OOP: Your statement is true and important. I will do more to better educate myself, starting immediately. Especially laws regarding international internet regulation.

How it was found:

I found the page in question by searching the source of a different, unrelated photo from IG to see if it appeared on any other sites. It did.
It lead me to a whole minor foot fetish community. In one click. From there, I found the account in question because he had made a sexual comment on the original photo. The comments on the photos he posts are very likeminded.
The entire site is devoted to sharing these types of “not necessarily malicious” photos, all the while the users are posting heinous comments. Many users advertise encrypted email addresses. I feel the website allows likeminded individuals to further connect/exchange.

UPDATE: (Same Post): 17 hours later

The FBI and NCMEC have been contacted, in addition to the school administration. It has also been reported to the Internet Watch Foundation.

I want to further emphasize that the photos are not directly explicit. I have no proof of harm, just malicious intent. I have discerned this through the type of website the photos are on, the comments made by the “uncle,” and the comments of his audience.

For those questioning why I would come to reddit.. honestly, shock and the need for human feedback. I didn’t know who to talk to. Though I am writing A FEW pieces regarding this subject, I was prepared to personally uncover an active crime. I have never previously been in the position to report my suspicion of active crime, let alone one that involves an international website. It was very emotionally upsetting and I’ll be the first to admit that I was ill-equipped to handle something of such severity. Nonetheless, I care, and I want to make sure I do everything I can.

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to help me help her.**

Update Post: January 20, 2025 (14 months later)

[editor's note- replaced initials with random names]

It’s been over a year since I posted about this discovery. I want to thank everyone for their advice and for also encouraging me to better educate myself on how to assist victims.

Some basic details: the photos were not explicit but opportunistic with the OP claiming to be an uncle. OP also made explicit comments about the children in his family, especially one little girl in particular (Molly.) I reported this account to multiple entities, including the school district.

After my post, I contacted one of the children (who is now a college student) and informed him that photos of him and his siblings were being shared on photo exchange sites, with some captions even insinuating incest between siblings. It was a rather short conversation, he thanked me for reporting to the authorities. Being that he was Molly’s brother, I also expressed my concern for her since most photos were of her.

All I know about the progress is that the website in question is no longer available in the United States. When accessing using a VPN, the uncle’s account is still active but only 26 photos are on his page (compared to 100+ in the past.) None of the photos were of Molly or her siblings. I am grateful for that.

However, I will mention one thing that I find strange.. the mother continues to post public photos of her children on FB.. I would assume the young man I contacted would have relayed the info to trusted family members. If it were my own children and they had already been inadvertently exposed to interment predators, I would no longer post public photos or information. Idk, maybe I’m reading into it too much?

It all still weighs on me quite heavily.

OOP's Comments:

Commenter: You did everything you can do - if the Family figured out who did this they are almost certainly blocked on FB.

At this point you are an internet stranger that knows way too much personal info about this family, time to take a step back and let them sort this out themselves. You have good intentions but any other attempts to notify them/get involved would be seriously overstepping.

OOP: I completely agree and hadn't even considered it. I just got on here for the first time in a long time and had messages asking for an update!

Commenter: My SIL doesn't seem to understand why my partner and I were very concerned about pictures of her children being posted publicly. We tried to explain that not everyone who is looking at those pictures are innocent people, but, she just brushed it off

I think some people can't comprehend the gravity, or, just don't want to, as a coping mechanism

OOP: I think you're right.. and it's not just parents! One of the most concerning things taking place (in my opinion) is the fact that schools post sports photos of minors. This is done out of innocence but sports photos divulge so much information: team name, last name, and school name. Not to mention that schedules are often public. This not only gives a predators info about the children, but also info about how to find them.

Editor's not: Marked as ongoing as things aren't fully wrapped up. On the other hand, OOP might also never find out anything else...