ACT Unknowingly Got Involved with A Minor Online - What to Do?

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stupid_adult

Member
17 October 2015
1
0
1
This is all a bit embarrassing.

So I was on kik, a sexting app. Met a girl who said she was 19 and from NY, though it seems more likely to me she is from Russia.

She offered to sell me some pictures of her for $10, and I paid via paypal. We then agreed to more for another $15 which I paid. Then she offered to do a private skype session for $25. So I paid her again via paypal but after some messing about with "computer problems" she stopped responding to me and never appeared on skype.

So I lodged a dispute for the final $25 charge with paypal and went to sleep feeling like a bit of a naive fool.

Woke up to a message from the girl saying that if I don't withdraw the dispute with paypal she will report me to the police because she is actually 16. Then when I looked at paypal, thinking it was easier to give in to this blackmail, I noticed that 5 minutes after posting that she will report me to police she has processed the refund and closed the dispute.

If she really is 16, what should I do? It was never my intention to get involved with a minor, I asked her age up front for that very reason. Am I in trouble? I want to delete the pics just in case she really is underage but I can't do that without deleting the chat where she threatened me and where she said she was 19.
 

Therese

Well-Known Member
11 October 2015
122
7
414
Just to clarify - she has closed the dispute and refunded you the $25?

My understanding is that international laws around this issue are quite complex. If she is overseas my suggestion would be to not do anything. Assuming she does not know many details about you and she reported the matter to her local police it would take a lot of resources to track you down.

As you did ask her upfront her age and she lied I believe it would be unlikely you could be prosecuted.

Perhaps it would be best to keep the conversation as evidence in case the situation arises, although possessing underage images may be contrary to Australian Laws. It may be best to confirm what images you can keep on your computer legally.