To find this uncomfortable?

[wishywashyrainbow]

I am a nanny (as in childcarer) and I have an acquaintance who I met 10 years ago when we nannied abroad together.
We were friendly-ish as we’re working in the same house etc.
She was sacked after 6 weeks though, as she was lazy and unprofessional. We’ve stayed acquaintances ever since, and she messages me every few weeks, just asking how work is etc.
I just reply fairly boring things, such as “it’s busy with it being the school holidays” etc. So no personal info about my charges. She doesn’t know their names or ages despite me working with them for a few years.
She goes through nannying jobs like hot meals. She’ll find jobs on gumtree, work for a few weeks, get sacked or told they no longer need help, then she’ll be unemployed for a month or so before finding somewhere for another 2 weeks.
I just feel really bad the way she speaks about the kids she cares for. She’ll message and say “they’re thick” or “they dress like homeless children” or “they do my head in”.
So her latest family has a 4 year old boy.
All I’ve heard for the last 2 weeks is how weird he is, he won’t eat proper food, he talks like a baby etc etc.
Yesterday I received a message from her saying “even his belly button is weird”
I went to open the message and there’s a photo of this 4 year old boy standing totally naked and it’s a full frontal image.
I’m so cross with her that I’ve been made to view this naked photo of a child I don’t know.
I’m furious that she thinks it’s acceptable to take naked photos of children.
And I feel gutted for the parents that they are allowing their son to be cared for by somebody who would do this.
Now I’m really worried for my own career as what if I’m tracked down to having received this image.
I’ve been in childcare for 20 years and always respected in long term positions.
Realistically I don’t know the family, or the child, so I can’t do anything about it.
I’m so cross with her though.

Re ability to interview you to get the full story I’m not sure if I understand DroningOn . I wasn’t suggesting the Op is more culpable than what’s written or minimising what BadNanny has done. I just think that the Police can investigate better by talking with OP than just relying on a report from the NSPCC. I’m sorry if I have totally misread your comment, my comprehension skills are lacking half of the time.

I think this woman has probably put other children at risk previously, maybe not in the same way, but there is no doubt that children have and will continue to be a risk some way or another. She is either really dense or she knew exactly what she was doing in sending it.

You obviously have to report this! I can't understand why she would think it's acceptable?

CaptainMarvelDanvers

Was just thinking about the potential seriousness of this and urging OP to not tell us any more than she has.

Police (assuming that's where its headed) will want to know who OP has told etc.

Not suggesting OP has done anything wrong at all, just want to make sure she doesn't get into a position here with posting sensitive information in response to people's inevitable desperation for an update.

Oh ok I get it. Thanks for clarifying, I think you’re 100% right.

I cant believe you haven't contacted the police on this

I’m done posting.
And namechanged not a first post.
Think the details are outing enough already without linking my past posts to it.
It’s in the hands of the NSPCC now and they will contact appropriate authorities.
Thanks for all the advice.

And for the people saying contact the police, on the NSPCC form there is a tick box to say can we give relevant authorities your details, eg police and social services.
So they will contact the police if necessary.

She may be communicating with others also and you may not be the only one to have received the message.It's not going to look good if they report and you don't. She sounds like a needy person and is really only an acquaintance of yours so I think there's a high chance she sent the message elsewhere. There's a very high ranking officer who is being prosecuted for a similar offence at present. She says she just received the message, the filmed incident in her case may be on a higher level, but there are similarities. She didn't act upon it and like yourself was well aware of the safeguarding issues.