Police Warn Parents After 'Obscene' Video Incident On Popular App

HINGHAM (CBS) – Police in Hingham are issuing a warning to parents after a popular app was recently used to send an explicit video to an 11-year-old girl.

Earlier this month, authorities say a mother came to the Hingham police station to report that her young daughter had been sent an inappropriate video on the "YouNow" app.

YouNow allows users to live stream video with their friends and followers.

The girl said she received a video from a new follower that she thought was safe to view because the user followed other girls around her age.

But when she opened the video, police say she told her mother that she saw a white man with a "big stomach" with his genitals exposed and touching himself "in an obscene manner." Her mother also saw the video before the user unfollowed her, and the video disappeared.

"It is clear that this male is seeking out girls by creating a profile that makes him appear to be a young girl," police said in an email alert. "This is typical predator behavior."

The man's username was a series of letters and numbers that the girl couldn't remember, police said.

Police say this incident could happen on any social media platform, and are urging parents to talk to their kids about online safety.