A mother of two said she felt “sick in the stomach” after overhearing a man apparently trying to groom her son via in-game chat on his Xbox.
The mother, from Liverpool, said her 12-year-old son was playing the online teen game Fortnite when a man started asking him to send nude photos.
She alleged that he offered the boy £50 to perform a sexual act on him and also told him to ‘die slowly’.
The mother, who captured the disturbing interaction, said she was watching soap operas in her bedroom when she heard the “disgusting” questions echoing from her son’s room.
A mother of two said she felt “sick in the stomach” after hearing a man try to nurse her son through in-game chat on his Xbox
“I felt sick, it was absolutely disgusting,” she shared Liverpool ultrasound in 2018.
“I ran in and told my son to tell him (the other gamer) that he was 12 years old, and ask him if he doesn’t think it’s disgusting to talk to a 12 year old like that?
And he said no – he didn’t care.
“Then I just lost it. I lost my temper and then told my son to stop the game and called the police.’
The mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said her son thought the man was one of his friends after adding him under a username.
Speaking about the incident that took place in 2018, she said, “He goes live with his friends online through the Xbox.
“When this guy contacted him he wasn’t sure if it was one of his friends because they all have weird usernames.
“But when he asked him for nudes, he knew what to do and he took it off (the game).
“I asked him to get him back on board so I could ask him what he said so I could record it and send it to the police.”
The first game of the game came out in 2017 and is now available in three different game mode versions. It is immensely popular, largely due to the fact that it is free to use
Many Fortnite players will opt for a headset to communicate and coordinate with their teammates
The mother said her son is afraid to play the game after what happened. She said, “He’s worried about getting back into it now and to be honest I don’t want him in it either.”
The game contains “cartoon violence” and is only suitable for those over 12 years old. It is available on PC, Mac, PlayStation and XBox.
It is free to play and attracts millions of players who can choose to play in teams or solo against 99 other players.
Many players will choose to wear a headset to communicate and coordinate with other players.
She said it’s “heartbreaking” to see her son stray from the game and said he usually likes to interact with his friends on his Xbox after school.
She added: “He was up at night and even when he went to school this morning he was worried because he doesn’t know who this man was and why he added him.
“He’s only 12 and just learning about sex education and things like that.
The mother, who also has a young daughter, said: ‘My daughter also heard what was being said and was very nervous before the arrival of the police and did not know what was going on.
“There’s a camera on the Xbox too, which I’ll take off when he gets back to it in time, but to be honest, I’m not sure I can trust that.
“I’ve had some nasty comments from people saying I’m a bad mom for letting my son go on Xbox Live, but this is child’s play and you wouldn’t expect it to happen.”
The mother said her son does not participate in games older than his age limit and that she is “always near him” when he is gaming so she can see what he is doing.
She added, “No adult should be playing a child’s game, this guy clearly wasn’t there to play it, he just wanted to talk to kids.”
“I’d just say, if they’re online, make sure you’re somewhere you can hear what’s happening.”
In response to the concerns of many parents, a National Crime Bureau A spokesperson warned at the time via Twitter in 2018. It read, “Fortnite is immensely popular with kids and teens across the country.
In response to many parents’ concerns, an NCA spokesperson said in 2018, “Fortnite is immensely popular with kids and teens across the country”
“It features voice and text chat that cannot be turned off, so it’s important that parents and teachers understand that there are more risks associated with the game and allow for safe play.”
More recently, the mirror reported that a mother from London overheard a man trying to nurse her son through his Xbox.
According to the mother-of-two, she heard an anonymous man tell her son to put on his headphones and ask him, “Do you know what sex is?”
The mother said, “The tone of this person’s voice was horrible,” adding that she immediately stopped the interaction, but “it could have been a lot worse.”
She issued a warning to parents, telling them to completely turn off their audio to protect their children.
Informing parents about the risk of online grooming Security consultant Lorna Ponambalum told MailOnline: “Groomers often create profiles impersonating children or young people so they can try to build a relationship of trust with children playing online by giving compliments.”
To best protect their children, Lorna advised parents to keep an eye on what games they play and for how long.
She said parents should look to the Pan European Gaming Information website to find the game’s rating, and take into account the level of violence and features, such as online chat, offered by the game.
Lorna added: ‘Parents need to be interested and talk to their kids about the games they’re playing. Maybe even play the games with them.
“Show them where to get help if they feel unsafe and encourage them to talk to you or a trusted adult if they have any concerns.”
The NSPCC also provides detailed advice for parents on how to keep their children safe online and identify grooming.
It says a child is ‘unlikely’ to know they have been looked after and is worried and confused and ‘less likely to talk to an adult they trust’.
Therefore, it is all the more important for parents to pay attention to the following warning signs that they identify:
- Being very secretive about how they spend their time, including when online
- Have an older boyfriend or girlfriend
- Having money or new things like clothes and cell phones that they can’t or won’t explain
- Underage drinking or drug use
- Spend more or less time online or on their devices
- Being upset, withdrawn, or distressed
- Sexualized behavior, language, or understanding of sex that is inappropriate for their age
- Spending more time away from home or going missing for a period of time.