Wrangell police chief issues warning after reports of adult trying to meet adolescent girls via Snapchat

(Wrangell Police Department photo)

By Jonathon Dawe

Wrangell Sentinel

Wrangell police are investigating reports that an adult posed as a young girl on Snapchat to add adolescent girls to his friends list and tried to arrange in-person meetings, according to Police Chief Gene Meek.

The girls did not meet the individual. Instead, they told their parents, who contacted police immediately, Meek said. The incidents occurred near the end of August.

Investigators have not released details about the suspect, and no arrests have been made.

Meek praised the girls’ quick thinking and said the case is a timely reminder for families to talk about online safety, even when the conversations are uncomfortable.

“Personally and professionally, I can’t stand the Snapchat app,” he said. “Because those messages are specifically designed to disappear.”

Meek, who is also a parent, said deciding when and how kids use social media requires active oversight and clear boundaries. 

“At the end of the day, each parent is just going to have to have an uncomfortable discussion with their kids,” he said. “Parents probably don’t want to talk about those uncomfortable subjects, but it’s best to have educated children who can make intelligent decisions. Like, in this case, the girls knew enough to recognize that something wasn’t right, so they got the law involved.”

He added that families have practical tools available, including monitoring apps that can show what a child is doing online and location trackers that let parents see where their child is. 

“In some cases, I would say (to a child), ‘If you want to use this phone, then that app must stay on at all times,’” Meek said. “At least that way the parent can know where their child is at all times.”

Police did not identify how many girls were contacted, but Meek said the incident underscores broader concerns about apps built around disappearing messages or private, encrypted chats. 

“No one likes to think about it, but there are threats everywhere, even here in Wrangell,” he said. “Children’s safety is our top concern. Sometimes that means we have to make unpopular or uncomfortable decisions. But it’s important.”

Meek encourages parents to check privacy settings on their children’s smartphones, know who their children are communicating with online and report suspicious behavior to law enforcement.

• This article originally appeared in the Wrangell Sentinel.