In early 2024, a woman from the Tokyo metropolitan area and her daughter, who had just left a private high school, visited their local police station to confirm details about threats involving sexual images. The police had previously seized the smartphone of the daughter's former boyfriend, a high school student, who was accused of threatening to distribute her private images. Many parents are becoming more aware as their children begin using social media, and this incident highlights the risks faced by young users. The daughter discussed her experience of having her Instagram profile picture replaced with one of her sexual images by the threats she received from multiple accounts.

The mother and daughter expressed their astonishment when they learned how pervasive the harassment was; all the suspicious accounts that had reached out to the daughter were operated by her former boyfriend. The harassment began a year and a half prior, during their relationship, when the daughter started receiving messages from several accounts posing as local high school and college students. They initially garnered her trust with compliments on her posts, such as 'You're cute,' before attempting to engage her through direct messages.

The escalation of such online activities raises significant concerns about the safety of minors on social media platforms. With the beginning of a new academic year and children becoming more active on social networks, this case serves as a warning to parents and guardians to remain vigilant about their children's online interactions. It also underscores the importance of discussions around consent, trust, and the potential dangers that may arise from seemingly innocent social media engagement.