Hello,Around 1 a.m. this morning I caught my daughter on the phone and something just felt off, so I pressed her about who she was talking to. She lied to me, I knew it, and kept asking until she finally told me it was a guy she met online. I immediately took her phone from her and asked questions. She claims he is 17, but he looks older to me. Something told me to check the messages and it is very, very, VERY sexually explicit. It would make a porn star blush. I'm beyond upset over having to read my daughter say these things and have them said to her. They also do video calls often. He coerces her repeatedly into sending nudes, starting with small stuff like asking to show her legs, her bare shoulders, underwear, and gradually moves up the list. When she doesn't respond to him right away, he gets controlling and emotionally manipulates her saying she can't leave him alone, talks about suicide, and hurting himself. He even uses these excuses to try and talk her into skipping family events, spending time with friends, or even going to school. He also sent her photos of his penis multiple times and instructs her through text how to do sexual things.I know a lot of parents think their children are angels, but I cannot express to you enough how I never thought this would be my child. She has always been an honors student, is president of her Mathletes chapter, is in a college scholars program, and has never missed a day of school in her life. Until tonight, I've never once had to punish her because she's never really done anything to deserve it. That said, his hold over her is so great that she often tells him she will "throw everything away" for him. They were making plans to meet this summer. He was even scheming ways to get her sex toys. I mean... what the fuck? I know he knows she is 12, because several times throughout the course of their texts (which are easily in the thousands), he tells her to lie about her age to mutual friends they share on Amino.I was able to find enough clues in his photos to verify his identity and eventually found his parents on Facebook but still can't confirm his age. I want to go to the police, but if he is actually 17 is there even anything I could legally do? Should I approach his parents? As much as I'd love to post this fucked up shit all over their Facebook page, I feel like I need to handle this carefully. I've had the talk with her so many times about online safety but I failed. I feel like a complete failure. I trusted her and wow... what a tremendous mistake. She's already in counseling because she struggles with body dysmorphia after puberty, which resulted in a lot of depression and anxiety, so when we meet with them again this coming Friday, this topic will be brought up. I told her we'd talk today after I've had a chance to process everything. We already have plans to completely eliminate her free access to the internet for the time being and will discuss more when my husband gets home from work today.Thank you in advance for any advice. via /r/Parenting http://bit.ly/2J302Gc
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