Nearly 100 school students from the Nadi area have been discovered offering sexual services on the dark web application Telegram, according to Alice Fong, the Ministry of Education Divisional Counsellor for the West.
She made this statement during her address at the Arya Pratinidhi Sabha of Fiji Women’s Conference held in Lautoka on Saturday. Ms. Fong recounted a visit to a Nadi school last month, where she was presented with a file prepared by the local police.
“There is a social media app called Telegram, which is a dark website where individuals, both girls and boys, share pictures and videos of themselves engaged in sexual acts and invite others to join them,” Ms. Fong explained. She highlighted that some students are asking for favors in exchange for services, such as requesting money for a recharge card or a hotel room.
Among the troubling reports, Ms. Fong noted that the youngest child identified was a primary school student. The investigation revealed that there are around 100 active students involved in such activities within the Nadi District alone.
She cautioned that similar issues could arise in other districts across Fiji, stating, “Do not think that this is isolated to Nadi or Lautoka. This is happening now, and I am sharing this based on what I have seen, read, and know.”
Ms. Fong urged parents to closely monitor their children’s activities and online presence.