Community Safety Announcement - ED Watchdogs.

This post comes with a MASSIVE trigger warning. 

In the last few years, I’ve seen so much that’s truly shocked me. And I’ve become aware that the eating disorders community attracts predators of it’s own.

There are some utter scumbags on the internet. And, being the internet, it can be hard, sometimes impossible, to police them.

Ideally, the internet never should be policed. But there are lines that should never be crossed – some of which in this case are paedophilia, rape,  preying on those who are vulnerable.

ED Watchdogs is a recently set up facebook community that is hoping to spread the message of keeping ourselves safe, and of keeping an eye out for each other. The facilitators have spent several years working silently behind the scenes compiling thousands of screenshots, messages and emails, endeavoring to try and remove the worst of these predators one at a time. Reporting them to facebook has been only a temporary measure – they always return. Reporting them to authorities usually results in nothing – not enough evidence. With very real abuse and assault going on – these facebook meetings do cross into real life in many instances – they put in hundreds of hours of work in order to get the evidence to present to police and have them actually investigate.

However this is just too much for a couple of people, themselves members of this community, to undertake alone – and they hope for the community to become their eyes and ears.

ED Watchdogs has an Ask.fm page for anonymous tip offs.

Screenshots and other files can be emailed to ed.watchdogs@gmail.com and if you prefer to stay anonymous, you can use a service like Anonymouse to do so.

I’ll leave you with an example of just what sort of person is among us. (Trigger warning.) 

I would like to take this opportunity to warn you all about the user ‘Myke Nihilist Davidian’.My alarm bells went off about this man a few months ago when I saw hints in his profile information that he may be the type of character to prey on young girls with eating disorders.

~WARNING: The following information may be triggering to those with abuse or rape in their past.~

I confronted Myke about his page and flat out requested to know what his intentions were. This image was the last reply I got.

This is an example of the kind of character we, the ED Watchdogs want to warn people to be wary about.
Please take care.

 

Images courtesy ED Watchdogs.