A WhatsApp group allegedly being used to sexually exploit children has reportedly surfaced in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, prompting serious concern about the safety of minors online.
The group, reportedly named “The Christmas Spirit,” is said to be targeting children between the ages of 11 and 12. Information obtained indicates that, as of December 16, the group had 211 members and was controlled by seven administrators. All phone numbers associated with the group were registered in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Screenshots and conversations from the chat, seen by local media, reportedly contain sexually explicit language that appears to refer to minors. The messages suggest the sexualisation of young girls and raise serious red flags about exploitation.
In addition, images allegedly shared within the group show young girls in sexually suggestive poses, some partially unclothed. Videos believed to be child sexual abuse material are also reported to have been circulated within the group.
The exact ages of the group administrators remain unknown; however, the nature of the conversations suggests that they may be adults.
This is not the first time such concerns have arisen. In February of this year, another WhatsApp group known as LINK.VVC reportedly emerged, involving more than 300 members. That group was allegedly used to broadcast explicit sexual content and host sexually charged conversations involving van conductors, van drivers, older men, and underage boys and girls, including students from at least one private primary school.
The LINK.VVC group was discovered by a parent who found the chat on her daughter’s phone and alerted other parents through a WhatsApp broadcast.
“The content is nothing I would want any Grade Six student to be involved in. These were adult conversations,” the mother said at the time.
She also expressed concern that many parents were unaware their children — some as young as nine, ten, and eleven years old — were members of the group. According to the mother, while some children actively participated in sexual conversations with much older men, others were present but did not respond.
The emergence of yet another WhatsApp group allegedly involving minors has renewed calls for greater parental awareness, online safety education, and swift action by the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force.
