Police investigate claims schoolgirls are secretly live-streaming on mobile app Periscope during lessons after Saddleworth News investigation

Reporter: Stuart Littleford

Police have launched an investigation after Saddleworth News discovered some local school pupils were live streaming on a social media app from their classrooms and were been swamped with messages asking them to expose themselves on lessons.

The schools included some in the Kirkleess, Oldham and a brief one from the Saddleworth area – although most were from the London area.

Children were using the popular live streaming app ‘Periscope’, which is installed on smart phones, to broadcast live to thousands of viewers around the world – while teachers are completely unaware of what is going on.

The app allows viewers to type comments and ask questions in real time, which are then displayed on the screen for all users to see.

In one case, viewers asked a schoolgirl to ‘film up her skirt’ and expose her breast sat Becket Keys Church of England School, Brentford, Essex.

Other vile comments, which were seen by hundreds of other app users, included one viewer saying he wanted to ‘f*** their brains out’.

Two female pupils were seen filming a live during a lesson at the school with their teacher at the front of the class, completely oblivious of what was taking place.

The girls chatted to live and showed various shots of the classroom and the teacher.

At Greenshaw High School in Sutton, Surrey, two girls were streaming from a lesson with their phone cleverly hidden out of the sight of their teacher.

They proceeded to give out their social media contact details to viewers who asked for them – with one viewer asking if they ‘were watching porn’.

And a female pupil at a Harris Academy in Falconwood, Kent, had her phone concealed in her school bag and was able to talk into it unnoticed during her lesson, receiving comments such as ‘you show boobs’.

The broadcast ended abruptly as the teacher came to stand nearby.

Other live feeds showed schoolgirls in a PE lesson at a South of England academy, while online strangers made lewd sexual comments including ‘I am wa**ing over you’ and ‘get your t*ts out’.

Pupils at secondary schools in towns such as Hull, Huddersfield, Barnet, Haringey, Lewisham, Derby, Sutton, Greenwich, Newham, Lewisham, Enfield and Haringey, have been caught broadcasting live from lessons.

And although none of the broadcasts viewed showed any sexual or indecent images, the comments were encouraging underage girls to expose themselves

The ‘Periscope’ app is not only popular among young people – it is used by many businesses, media organisations, police forces and charities to stream meetings and conferences live.

All the schools identified were contacted by Saddleworth News editor Stuart Littleford, who also edits the GPSJ journal following the findings. Only Harris Academy in Falconwood has issued a statement so far.

A Harris Academy Falconwood spokeswoman said: “Mobile phones are not allowed in our school, which is a rule students usually comply with. Having had this matter drawn to our attention, we will investigate further with the two students involved.”

A leading children’s charity said it was extremely concerned at the way social media was being used in schools.

“It’s deeply shocking that children are being groomed and exploited via this social media app while in school where they should be safe,’ said Barnardo’s chief executive Javed Khan.

“A wider conversation needs to be had around how children use their phones and the consequences in school and at home. The companies making apps must exercise social responsibility and moderate content to help protect children and alert police to sexual predators – here in the UK and across the globe.

“Technology has inevitably changed the way young people communicate and meet online. Barnardo’s wants lessons on sex and healthy relationships to be compulsory in all schools, so children can understand the risks of social media apps like this.”

Debbie Abrahams, MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth and shadow minister for disabled people, said: “This is a shocking revelation by the Government & Public Sector Journal and we must all do everything we can to warn children, their parents, carers, and schools about the potential dangers.

Barnardo’s chief executive Javed Khan said the makers of such apps need to ‘exercise social responsibility’

Debbie Abrahams MP – SHOCKING REVELATIONS

“Labour has highlighted increasing evidence that access to new media and technology is creating new and unprecedented risks for young people.

“We’ve also said that we want to make personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) classes, which covers age appropriate sex education, compulsory in all state-funded schools in England and this would be one of the first things Labour would do in government. On the other hand the Government is only saying it will keep the subject’s status under review.

“This seems short-sighted to me when you consider the official guidance to all schools, including academies, on sex-and-relationships education has not been updated since 2000, before the smartphone generation were even born.”

‘The Government really should make this issue a priority and stop stalling.”

And a department for education spokesperson said: “Nothing is more important than keeping our children safe.

“Our statutory guidance is crystal clear that anyone who has concerns about pupils’ welfare should refer to local authorities or the police if a crime is committed, and all schools must act swiftly on allegations.

“All schools must have designated safeguarding leads and staff should speak to them with any worries about a child’s welfare.”

Author: Jude Gidney - Editor

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