Investigation exposes pedophilia in child promotion industry

A New York Times survey found that many babysitters have taken advantage of the babysitting industry, posing as celebrities or social media stars to be close to children.

One such father, Michael Allen Walker, is said to have promised mothers that their daughters would gain more followers on Instagram under his guidance. He ran his business from a state prison, where he is serving 20 years for child molestation. Walker also bragged on Telegram, where many of the men interacted, that he had seen sexually explicit images of child molesters, according to the report.

According to the study, these men gain the trust of women by walking a fine line, and creating pictures of their children without genitalia. In some cases, men are said to give money to buy old children’s clothes or photos that were not on the child’s account.

Ryan Daniels, a spokesperson for Meta, told The New York Times that there are safeguards in place for youth accounts to limit interactions with strangers. For parent-managed sub-accounts, the parent has control over privacy settings, content, and how the account interacts with other accounts.