School Warns Parents About Facebook-friendly Paedophile

A school in Cambridgeshire has sent out letters to parents warning them about a paedophile who is attempting to groom children on social networking platforms like Facebook, by posing as a classmate.

The man is suspected to have made multiple fake profiles on Facebook and is grooming children by disguising as a new classmate who is about to join school in January and is looking to make friends.

The police officials say that the paedophile has also encouraged some pupils into using their webcams while talking to him.

The Daily Mail reports that Catherine Jenkinson-Dix, the headteacher of City of Ely Community College, has sent a warning letter to parents, advising them to take extra precaution.

"The man has targeted children from two local secondary schools, trying to befriend them by saying that he is starting at the school in January and is looking to make new friends," she wrote in the letter.

"I am sure that you will discuss with your child the dangers of using the internet and ensure that they do not put themselves in a vulnerable position, and that they take extra precautions now that they are home over the festive season," she added.

Earlier this year, Facebook took down a "paedophile tracking page" that listed nearly 6,000 mugshots and names of convicted sex offenders from 62 counties in England.