Digital law expert warns parents after children allegedly exposed to porn on WhatsApp

A disturbing account of nine-year-old children allegedly being exposed to pornography during a WhatsApp group call has prompted digital law expert Emma Sadleir to urge parents to reconsider giving young children unrestricted access to internet-connected devices.

Sadleir, founder of The Digital Law Company, said the incident highlighted the risks children face online and questioned why young children were being given access to platforms they might not be emotionally or developmentally ready to navigate.

The account was shared in an email she received describing how a child allegedly gathered friends of a similar age on a WhatsApp group call, shared her screen and showed them pornographic material.

According to the account, one mother alerted the child’s parents, who reportedly thanked her before smacking their child and confiscating the devices.

Another parent later asked her daughter whether she had also seen the material. After the nine-year-old confirmed that she had, she was reportedly punished for not telling her parents, and her devices were taken away.

For Sadleir, the incident raised concerns not only about children’s online exposure, but also about how adults respond when young people encounter harmful content.

‘Your primary school child should not have a device that has WhatsApp on it’

Sadleir believes parents should carefully consider whether primary school children need smartphones with access to messaging apps and other internet services.

“Your primary school child should not have a device that has WhatsApp on it. It’s just point-blank. WhatsApp is not appropriate,” she said.

She acknowledged that parents in South Africa often want their children to have a way to contact them in an emergency. However, she argued that this does not necessarily require giving them unrestricted internet access.

Instead, she suggested that parents consider basic mobile phones that allow children to make calls without providing the same access to online platforms.

“You get them a dumb phone. You can go and get them a phone, the cheapest phone possible. They can phone you if they need to,” she said.

Sadleir also cautioned against assuming that messaging platforms are harmless simply because they are commonly used to communicate with friends and family.

Group chats, channels and content shared by other users can expose children to material their parents may not expect them to encounter.

Why punishing children can make the situation worse

Sadleir expressed particular concern about children being punished after being exposed to pornography, especially when the adults responsible for their safety had provided them with devices that allowed access to such content.

She argued that nine-year-olds cannot reasonably be expected to recognise and manage every risk associated with online platforms.

“If you’ve given your child in primary school a device, you are giving them a directory of pornography,” she said.

Her concern is that blaming children for encountering explicit material can discourage them from speaking to trusted adults if something similar happens again.

Rather than treating exposure as misconduct by the child, Sadleir said parents should consider the circumstances that allowed it to happen and how they can better protect their children.

‘Treat them like the victim that they are’

Sadleir acknowledged that parenting is demanding and that screens can sometimes feel like a convenient way to keep children occupied while adults manage everyday responsibilities.

She said her message was not intended to shame parents, but to encourage them to think more carefully about the technology they make available to young children.

Her advice was especially clear for parents whose children disclose that they have encountered pornography.

“If your child comes to you to say that they have been exposed to pornography, you treat them like the victim that they are,” she said.

A calm, supportive response can help children feel safe enough to explain what happened and seek help if they encounter disturbing material again.

What parents can do to protect children online

The incident serves as a reminder that giving children access to a smartphone involves more than deciding when they are old enough to own one. Parents also need to consider which apps they can use, who can contact them and what content they may encounter.

Practical steps include:

• Consider a basic phone: If a young child needs to contact family, a phone with calling and limited functionality may be sufficient.
• Review app access: Check which messaging platforms and online services children can use, and whether those services are appropriate for their age.
• Set clear boundaries: Explain that children can come to a trusted adult if they see something frightening, confusing or sexual online.
• Avoid blame and punishment for disclosure: Listen calmly and establish what happened before deciding how to respond.
• Take concerns seriously: If explicit material was deliberately shared with children or there are signs of grooming or exploitation, preserve relevant information where safe and seek appropriate professional or law-enforcement assistance.

Sadleir’s warning comes amid wider concerns about children’s exposure to harmful online content and the difficulty of supervising everything they encounter through connected devices.

Her central message is that online safety cannot be left to children to manage on their own. Adults must make informed decisions about access to technology and ensure that children feel safe asking for help when something goes wrong.

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Source: iol.co.za