Disgusting text messages

[Mrsspagnoli57]

Have just had conversation with daughters school. Daughter has been receiving text messages that are sexual and disgusting. This started last night and are from a number unknown to her. She got so many last night that she switched phone to silent. Her head of year is going to give her a number to contact 02 to see if they will be able to block the number. The contract is in my name as she's 16 and I can't find anything on their web site about this kind of thing. She's ok but is worried naturally although the messages don't appear,according to her teacher, to be personally specific. Anyone else had a similar problem? should I report it to the police? give them the number etc? would changing the SIM card be an option? I guess I'd have to ask 02 about that.

[Ankou]

you can fiule a ceop report.

1. don't respond
2. keep messages as evidence
3. get your daughter a new number

http://ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/Parents/

[MarkRae]

You absolutely MUST file a CEOP report as has been rightly suggested.

[maggiebee]

Agree with Ankou. Maybe school can check if anyone else is getting this type of message though it may just be random. The way some people get their kicks is beyond comprehension.

[Mosaic]

Also, take the phone to the police. It is a criminal offence to send this kind of message. The SIM card is evidence of the crime. Get a report number from the officer you speak to and keep it safe for future reference.

[MarkRae]

Indeed. Assuming that it's a real person who is sending these messages and not some automated device, the police will be able to locate the phone so long as it continues to be switched on.

[Mrsspagnoli57]

Thanks very much for that. I'll find out more when she gets home from school later on. I'll get in touch with 02 when I know more to get number changed. The sender doesn't appear to know her so we hope its just some sad bas##rd getting his kicks, but the school were really helpful-sounded as though they had dealt with the same sort of problem in the past. Thanks again.

[Andyvon]

Yes - twice before Mrsspag.

The first was a few years ago when my wife was the subject of a three month hate campaign just after we got married. It turned out that a former mutual friend was jealous that we had got married! I spent three months pleading with this woman to leave my wife alone and in the end, after several warnings, I went to go to the police with all the texts. Much to our amazement they knew exactly who it was as this person had done it all before and she had a criminal record for other offences of violence and damage! They knew her and just said leave it with them (they didn't even need to ask her address!). What was more astonishing was that this former friend was a nurse at our local hospital and I could prove she had been using the hospital phones while at work! When her bosses found out they just whitewashed it - last we knew she was still there!

The second time was in 2009 when my errant step-daughter did much the same with texts to my wife. She's also well-known to the police and they took it upon themselves to arrest her and make an order protecting us. However, my step-daughter just ignored it and continued abusing her mother and contacting me (she and I get on well).

I would suggest MrsS that if your daughter continues to receive unpleasant messages you save several of them on the phone then take them to the police. It's not uncommon and they know how to handle idiots like that. Good luck.

[divegirl]

Hi, I had calls to my phone last year [had my daughters old number] of a sexual nature, I rang the police and they sorted it out straight away as the dopey chav didn't block their number. It could be worth ringing the station direct...not 999 of course.

Lisa x

[Mrsspagnoli57]

Since last posting I've filed a CEOP's report and contacted police. I also found out-from 02-that the number was a UK number on the 3 network-I rang 3 and told them that a customer on their network was doing this-they were not really interested! It transpires it is a 'shadow' text from elsewhere but routed via '3' network so impossible to trace. Anyway, daughter has successfully 'blocked' it and the texts are getting fewer and further between--they go into SPAM and are then deleted. It has repeated itself about 10 times now, same messages-positively filthy language. Thanks for all posts it helped a lot :)

[Ankou]

glad to hear it.

sounds like it wasn't 'personal' so to speak which i am sure is a bit of a relief.