The Hilton Central School District is warning parents about an online predator who has been victimizing students. Officials announced on the district's website that students in Monroe and Yates counties have been victimized by a person who created a number of social media accounts. The predator obtained private images of the students and is using them to blackmail the students into providing additional pictures and personal information. New York State Police are investigating leads. A similar warning went out last month in Penn Yan. Below is the message posted on the district's site.
Hello Parents & Guardians,
The Hilton School District has been made aware of several students within Monroe and Yates Counties who have been victimized by an online predator. This person(s) has created numerous social media accounts, friended students and proceeded to obtain very personal and private images and information about these students. The predator then uses this information to “blackmail” the students to provide additional pictures and information with the threat of sharing what has already been provided on social media sites and other public entities. The State Police are involved and investigating all leads.In light of these recent reports, we ask that you please take a moment and speak with your child(ren) about their social media presence and activities. Numerous resources are available to support parents in having these conversations with their children. If you have questions about how to have these conversations with your child, please contact your child’s counselor. If you believe your child has been targeted by this online predator, please contact our Director of Safety and Security David Inzana at 392-1000, ext. 7046 or dinzana@hilton.k12.ny.us. We can’t stress enough the importance of “saying something if you see something,” regardless of whether the observed concern is in-person or on social media.In addition to this important safety information, below are other items of interest for our school community.
Sincerely,
Dr. Green