Anonymous ID: 206147 March 6, 2019, 8:45 p.m. No.5550297   🗄️.is 🔗kun

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - Facebook is now being sued by an underaged sex trafficking victim– again. This is the third lawsuit filed against the social media giant in Harris County.

 

The victim's attorney, Annie McAdams, said her client who's referred to only as Jane Doe in the lawsuit, was just 12 years old when she was first approached by a pimp on Facebook and eventually trafficked as a result of the site's open platform.

 

The lawsuit filed on Tuesday said the pimp groomed the minor for over a year, earned her trust, then swooped in when the child was vulnurable.

 

"Just like other cases we've seen– when the child had a disruption at home, voiced her concern and loneliness on Facebook– he moved in. He picked her up and here we are," McAdams said.

The case has a similar pattern to other underaged sex trafficking cases McAdams has represented in the past where predators spend weeks, months and sometimes even years spent waiting patiently for their prey.

 

McAdams said keeping your kids completely off social media sites like Facebook and Instagram is the only sure way to protect them from being exposed.

 

"You should not let your child on social media. It's really that simple. It is impossible for you to know all communications at all times and who is friending your child. This is a complete and open platform for predators to approach our children," McAdams said.

 

Mcadams said even when parents think they're closely monitoring their kids' online activities, the predators are one step ahead.

 

"Just because you think you're looking at who your kids are friends with on Facebook, that may not always be who they're communicating with," McAdams said.

 

McAdams claims Facebook helped faciliate her client's trafficking by refusing to change its safety protocols and monitoring who its users are.

 

"When you take your kid to summer camp, you expect the summer camp while your child is on that premise, to be kept safe from predators. But somehow, we are allowing our children to step foot on this platform, yet are not demanding the same regulations when in fact, they have more exposure on internet platforms," McAdams said.

 

"These cases are not being filed to settle. We want drastic changes in the way that they're doing business. Facebook has not made any significant steps since our first lawsuit to continue to protect children," McAdams continued.

 

McAdams said the two other cases against Facebook now being litigated in court.

 

FOX 26 reached out to Facebook for comment but have not yet heard back.

http://amp.fox26houston.com/news/facebook-sued-by-underaged-sex-trafficking-victim-again