A Texas-based detective investigating crimes against children is urging parents to exercise extreme caution when sharing photos of their children online, particularly images of them in swimsuits. Seth Cockerham, who has a significant following on TikTok, stated that such seemingly innocent photos are frequently discovered on the storage devices of individuals investigated for child exploitation.
Cockerham emphasized that even when accounts are set to private, the risk remains. He pointed out that private accounts can still have hundreds of followers, and statistically, a large percentage of child sex abuse is perpetrated by individuals known to the victim, such as family members or friends. "You may never know where it goes [when you post it]," Cockerham said, questioning whether parents would be comfortable with unknown adults possessing pictures of their children in swimsuits.
The detective also highlighted the emerging dangers posed by artificial intelligence. He warned that AI can be used to create disturbing content using even basic images of a child's face, and details like birthmarks could be used to recreate them on AI-generated bodies. "You would be very surprised by the things people could do with AI just by having a picture of someone's face," he stated.
Cockerham advises parents to pause before posting and consider if a photo reveals more of their child's body than is necessary. He also stressed the importance of not including revealing personal information, such as a child's school, in online posts. "I never want my kid to be on somebody’s storage device," Cockerham concluded, reiterating his concern for the potential misuse of these images.