Disturbing random text, police aren't interested.

[Shortandsweet96]

Today I recieved a text from a random mobile number it reads:

"Hi. I am looking for a young girl. Maybe you know someone or have a sister or kid"

At first I thought it was someone trying to "prank call/text" me but I thought who in their right minds would pretend to act like a peadophile as a joke. So me thinking it might be someone I know text back to say no but their mobile number and message will now go on my social media (trying to scare then into admitting who they are and tell me not to) they just said "let me know where I'll have a look" creep.. so I then got suspicious.

I sent a screenshot to my family chat and said it was weird, aakes them to check the number to see if it showed on anyones contacts, asked my friend who was here at the time to check too. But nothing came up I googled the mobile number and nothing came up.

A family member suggested 141 ans calling the number, I did this and what sounded like a grown man answered, he sounded older with an Asian accent..

I freaked out and hung up, then 141 called again and said I may have dialled the wrong person and asked who it was. They was having none of it and hung up.

So I popped into the local police station with the text and explained what had happened, that I thought it was a friend dicking around but when called a grown man answered.

Person at the window at the police station just said ignore it there nothing they can do. They didnt even take the phone number? She read the message and just told me to ignore it.

AIBU to think they should have at least taken the number down? What if this is a genuine peadophile? I feel sick to my stomach thinking someone could actually want to find a young girl and isn't shy about texting random numbers to get there.

Police officer. We don’t do police men/women nowadays. Just block it and forget about it. It’s what the cops would tell you to do anyway.

Thats the one, police person didnt sound quite right so tried to cover all bases.

Agh so annoying.

Still dont understand why my comment was hidden? Am I really not allowed to say he had an Asian accent?

I didn’t read your comment, it was hidden quickly

A previous poster made reference to me calling his Asian with an eye roll.

I only explained that he did factually have an Asian accent, and that I'm not just giving him a random race.

Not sure what was so bad about that

Ah, it's being automatically hidden. I think its because I'm using the words r@ce and @sian in the same sentence they want to check I'm not being racist.

Makes sense!

I don’t think repeating the comment is going to help......

I was by repeating I was explaining, hence why I realised it's the two words together try automatically hidden.

Props to MN perhaps Facebook, Twitter and Instagram should follow suit

Maybe If they bother you again, text back "stop texting me, I find it harassing. I have reported your number to police for harrassment and as you seem to be unnaturally interested in children " but tbh, I would just block their number. You don't know them nor they you.

Not sure if you did this but have a look at your Whatsapp contacts see if he has a display photo. Or find friends on facebook see if his Facebook is linked to his number

Could be a prank or could be serious....there might be a bigger picture. It's dissapointing the police officer was not more responsive perhaps try again and it may be a different officer or call crimestoppers.

shake Genuinely, what do you expect them to do? People need to start being more realistic about what they think the police can do about a message like this.

@nicknacky
I understand that there isn't much they can do at this point, but equally wish they could have taken the number at least.. probably more for my peace of mind than anything lol.

What if it is a peadophile? I've reported it and they have done nothing. What if he then gets caught after the damage is done.

I know realistically they cant investigate every text everyone ever receives. I tend to think more of the ideal world rather than the realistic one and I suppose everyone is of their own opinion and they just have to follow some form of protocol.

You don’t know if it is a paedophile and you never will know, that’s why it’s better just to forget about it.

It’s a weird text. That’s all. You have done your bit.

You could try this website. l check it every time l get a call from a number l don't know.
who-called.co.uk/Mobile

@Shortandsweet96
Because the haven't committed an offence so even if it was a peodophile, the police can't do anything with a "sent a weird slightly creepy text to an adult"..I'm not sure they can even add it to a database as no offence committed.
However if the harrass you, or stalk you on SM, then that's different, that's why I think you far best block them and not let them have access to anything.
I don't connect my FB or any am account to my number and limit all sm accounts to invited friends only, so no one can search for me by my mobile. Maybe check your privacy settings in light of those two weird texts .

Haven't read full thread. Sounds sinister, could they have thought they were texting a supplier?! Give number to local paedo hunters.

What are you expecting the police to do? Texting someone isn’t a crime and they aren’t able to just trace a phone number because they feel like it.
It’s probably just been sent to the wrong number by mistake in relation to any number of things

Do not give the number to those ridiculous paedophile hunters!!

Honestly, what a suggestion.

off We can add info like this to out intelligence database should we feel it’s necessary.

I agree it's concerning that the police aren't interested. It might be nothing, but at the very least taking note of the sender number and details could reasonably feed into an investigation.

But unfortunately if the police aren't interested, there's really fuck all you can do. It's hard enough if you're an actual victim, never mind just being a witness to something that might not even be a crime.

Also, as an aside, why can’t people just say ‘paedophile’ and not ‘peado’? That shortening just makes people sound like a sun reading moron.
Please don’t be giving a phone number to vigilante paedophilic hunters, fgs. There is NO proof that’s what this is, imagine potentially harassing an older man who’s done nothing wrong. Perhaps he runs a shop and wants a kid to deliver his papers. It could literally be anything!

Reverse phone search showed nothing except it's on the THREE network.

Will not be handing the number to a mob of people who call themselves peaophile hunters.

Will however block the number, however creepy the text was, I did what I thought was correct, even if nothing came of it. And advice on here is very 50/50 so will just take as some idiot with an odd sense of humour.

@owlbethere
Agree on the word 'peado' the full length version isn't nice to the ears but the word peado is just tack and makes me cringe when I hear it.

Did you try adding the number to your WhatsApp contacts OP? I do that when I have unknown numbers messaging me as you can see who it if from the photo usually.

@topisland
I did try, it said invite to WhatsApp so I assume they dont have it? (I dont use WhatsApp) downloaded it and only say it up to look up this number lol