CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- A Chesterfield mother said she wanted to warn other parents after she found her 12-year-old daughter live-streaming video of herself to hundreds of strangers from her bedroom.
Kelly Jarrett said her daughter Emily recently connected with strangers from all over the world on a website called YouNow. There she broadcasted a live feed of herself giving advice to her friends without her mom’s knowledge.
“I was blindsided,” Jarrett said.
Emily received more than 400 comments from people, including random men who complimented her looks.
“They were saying you are so beautiful, your eyes are so blue and pretty, your voice is so soothing,” Jarrett said.
Kelly Jarrett and Melissa Hipolit
One of those men friend requested Jarrett on Facebook, and that is how she found out what her daughter was doing in the bedroom.
“It scared me on levels that I did not want to be frightened on,” Jarrett said.
YouNow is just one of many tools for live-streaming. Facebook recently introduced live-streaming to all of its users.
“Her devices have been taken away,” Jarrett said.
Jarrett said parents need to be aware that their kids can do this, and that was why she posted video on her Facebook page of a Chesterfield school resource officer talking to her daughter about the dangers of live-streaming.
“When you’re video-chatting live that invites all kinds of predators into your world,” the officer told Emily.
Jarrett had a chance meeting with the officer on her street after finding out about her daughter live-streaming, and she said the officer offered to help out.
She hoped other parents would watch the video and take action.
“This blindsided me, and I believe in my heart a lot of other parents are going to be blindsided as well,” Jarrett said.
YouNow issued the following statement on the situation:
Trust is a core value of YouNow, and we are committed to the safety of our community. We have strict policies against inappropriate behavior, harassment, and illegal activities.
YouNow has a multi-layered monitoring system that addresses safety concerns and works to make our community as welcoming as it can be. 24/7 live moderators respond to any issue flagged by the community or detected by our automated systems. In addition, any user can not only flag another user, but completely block them.
Our broadcasts are monitored 24/7, and any user who is reported not to have met our standards is quickly disciplined. If you are a parent, please visit ourGuide for Parents, and for more information on what is and isn’t acceptable, visit Community Standards & Site Rules.
