Castlegar men get police, council attention for Facebook guide on how to abuse young girls
By Kyra Hoggan
A horrifying document posted on Facebook and penned by two local men has reached the attention of both Castlegar city council and the RCMP.
Created by two young, adult Castlegar men, the page is a lengthy, step-by-step guide on how to get young girls (between the ages of 13 and 15) to have sex, detailing everything from whom to target to what songs to play, how much alcohol to give them, and even what to say if her parents catch you in the act. Referring to the girls as “objects” or “subjects”, the document is hugely denigrating of girls and women, according to city councillor Deb McIntosh.
“We were shocked and horrified … especially by the comments posted by other kids, who we actually know,” she said. “It’s absolutely a how-to manual on luring young girls into treacherous situations.”
Councillor Russ Hearne said the document, which has since been removed from the social media website, has been forwarded to the local RCMP detachment. “Our concern is not policing Facebook,” he said, “Our concern is the gut-wrenching disregard for women – and themselves – that was displayed by the authors and the people who commented on it. It was absolutely disgusting.
“I don’t think there’s a lot the police can do, but I think it’s beneficial for police to sit down with (the authors) and outline some of the potential consequences of this kind of act,” said Hearne.
“It’s awful to think of the harm this could cause young girls, but even (if the writers) look at it from a purely selfish standpoint, they’ve put this out there on the worldwide web. What if college recruiters or potential employers saw this? I know I’d never hire anyone who posted something like this.” He also said the incident should serve as a cautionary tale for parents. “In light of this document and recent sexual crimes committed through social media, parents need to be incredibly vigilant about what their kids are doing on the Internet.” Castlegar RCMP Sgt. Laurel Mathew said this is absolutely the kind of thing police need to know about. “We’ll follow it up and determine if there’s any criminal activity going on,” she said. “Social networking is fun and all – but this kind of thing can get so dangerous, so fast. “And it’s out there in cyberspace for the whole world to see – police have access to Facebook, too, and if we find stuff like this, you can bet we’ll be coming to your door.” The investigation continues.
