PEOPLEACT
Cyber Harassment Survivor’s Kit – STORIES OF SURVIVORS
When Sexual Predators Used The Internet to “Hunt”
In 2012, Kamala was only 17 years old when she met someone on Facebook who introduced himself as a 30-year-old heir from Mumbai working as an engineer in a company. Although she told the man that she was not interested in having a relationship at that time and wished to concentrate on her studies, he insisted on waiting for her. Subsequently, he told her that he was coming to Malaysia and wanted to meet her alone. He told her that he was living in a hotel close to her house. He had apparently contacted her friends via Facebook and asked them for her address.
Kamala became worried and immediately tried to discourage the man by telling him that they would never communicate again. He got upset and started calling her on the phone numerous times. One time when she did pick up the phone, he started revealing his sexual fantasies of her. This made her very uncomfortable and prompted her to block him on her phone contact list and Facebook.
Subsequently, Kamala discovered that he had started contacting her friends online. He flirted with them and asked them to meet secretly.
Kamala did not report this incident to anyone because she was afraid of how others might judge her, especially her parents. At that time, she thought her parents would be upset and restrict her from any online social activities but now, she wished she had gone to them for advice.
What would you have done if you were in Kamala’s place? Write to us at [email protected]
*Inspired by a real survivor’s account