Please be aware of who your children come in contact with over social media. While some apps are known (Instagram, Snapchat, BeReal, etc.), others are not on our radar like they should be. Rising apps such as Likee and Justalk allow individuals to message one another privately. Recent cases in McDowell County have uncovered the dangers of not monitoring these apps as children/teens are being easily deceived by adult strangers.
"The goal is to protect our children and equip parents/guardians with this information to hopefully prevent our children from falling victim to those preying on our youth. Parents, please be ALERT!" warns Sheriff Ricky T. Buchanan.
For further questions or additional information regarding these types of apps, please contact Detective Michael Vaughn with the McDowell County Sheriff's Office at 652-2237 or download the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office App and visit the “Submit a Tip” tab. You can also call McDowell County Crime Stoppers at 65-CRIME (652-7463) or text TIP MCDOWELLSO and your information to 888777. With Crime Stoppers, your identity remains anonymous.
