As it became known on Wednesday afternoon, he was a recidivist sex offender until the beginning of the year under so-called leadership supervision. This was judicially terminated at the beginning of the year, a spokesman for the Hessian State Criminal Police Office (LKA) announced on Wednesday upon request. Thus, the 29-year-old has also been removed from the program ZÜRS. The “Central Office for Monitoring Sex Offenders at Risk of Recidivism” (ZÜRS), which came into force in 2008, is based on a joint agreement between the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Ministry of the Interior.

Not much else is known about the case so far. According to investigators, however, it is clear that Ayleen and the man knew each other and had contact for weeks via the Internet. Both played the popular game Fortnite, for example, where online networked players chase and shoot each other through colorful worlds. In addition, Ayleen used other social media. Investigators will have to evaluate huge amounts of data in the coming period.

Messenger as a danger

Even if some now the irritant word “baller game” shoots through the head, combined with the reflex to condemn Fortnite: Ultimately, it is probably not relevant where Ayleen met the alleged perpetrator. Like many games and other online services, Fortnite offers a chat function, just like Instagram, TikTok or Facebook have a messenger.

In fact, it is these chat options, along with the large mass of relatively anonymous users, that pose the danger of which Ayleen has now apparently become a victim. Strangers write to others, pay attention, perhaps make compliments or promises. Sometimes the aim is to cheat the potential victims out of their money, as in love scamming (here is a recent BR research on this), but sometimes also about sexual abuse.

Not least teenagers and children are in particular danger in the digital world. This is because it is much harder for perpetrators to approach them in the real world without falling under suspicion. Online, on the other hand, they can pose as peers or play a role to reach younger people – and persuade them to take nude photos or meet. The technical term for this is “cybergrooming.

No easy solution

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to the problem, neither for teenagers nor for their parents. However, experts advise in any case not to provide children or young teenagers with their own smartphone. “I would say that you even need legal regulations, that the smartphone is perhaps only allowed from 16, 18, like alcohol, smoking et cetera,” said for example the Munich Internet criminologist Cem Karakaye the BR.

However, since there is no such regulation and teenagers sometimes even need smartphones for school – keyword: homeschooling – this complete waiver currently seems rather unrealistic from a certain age. So how can you protect yourself or your children?

Check settings!

In principle, cybergroomers can use almost any portal to contact their victims: direct messages on Instagram or TikTok, comment functions on YouTube or Facebook, or even live chats in video games like Fortnite. A good precautionary measure is certainly to set the profile to “private” for all these offers, so that not everyone can see pictures and information. In addition, according to the Klicksafe portal, which is funded by the EU and the state media authorities of Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia, it’s best to share as little private information as possible in your profile and turn off your webcam.

Some services also offer the option in the settings to turn off or restrict comments under posts and/or direct messages from strangers. The services Instagram and TikTok, which are popular with young people, do this, for example. You can also disable chats on Fortnite. Parents can also set a PIN that must be entered before new friends can be added.

Best antidote: caution and skepticism

Despite all this, it must be clear that these security measures – similar to bicycle locks – primarily make the crime more costly for the perpetrator; they cannot prevent it. The central countermeasures are therefore the same for almost every danger on the Internet, be it love scamming, phishing e-mails, the grandchild trick or cybergrooming: caution and great skepticism.

Everyone, whether children, parents or grandparents, should therefore always be aware that new acquaintances in digital spheres always harbor dangers, that one should never simply believe everything said there, that one should never pass on private data such as WhatsApp number, e-mail address or PIN to strangers, that one should not enter into any meetings without appropriate safety precautions, such as escorts.

In light of the Ayleen case, Bavaria’s Digital Minister Judith Gerlach also pointed out once again that children must be made aware that the Internet is not a protected space. Her appeal to parents therefore: “As in the analog world, children and young people also need rules and clear boundaries on the Internet. Better than a blanket ban or even cell phone controls is an educational, trusting conversation about the dangers that lurk online.” Gerlach also calls for schools and authorities to provide more education in this area.

How to spot cybergroomers

In addition to being generally cautious, there are specific warning cues to remember and pass along to teens that can be used to spot cybergroomers. “For example, questions pop up like: ‘Are you home alone? Or can you show me your room?” says cybercriminologist Karakaya. In addition, compliments about the profile picture and questions about other photos should make people wary.

Klicksafe also mentions other signs: For example, that the counterpart wants to quickly start sexual conversations, promises gifts or fame. For example, by pretending to be a model agent. Anyone who is unsure should take a close look at the other person’s profile: How many friends does he have, are there other profiles with the name on the net, are there pictures of him with others? In short: Does it all seem real? If the profile seems strange, you should break off contact, according to Klicksafe. This always applies anyway if you feel uncomfortable, if you are harassed or asked for nude photos or meetings. An attempt at blackmail is also an indication of cybergrooming.

According to Klicksafe, if someone continues to be pushy even after you have broken off contact, you should take screenshots of the corresponding chats, block the contact, report the profile and, if in doubt, go to the police.