Mermaids charity paedophile & porn photos scandal in the press

[MrsOvertonsWindow]

The Times have covered the Mermaid's employee and his pornographic photos as well as the trustee over interested in paedophilia. I didn't think the press would cover this as it's so extreme but am relieved they have as schools who promote Mermaids really need to know what children are being exposed to. Share token:

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/ca30ddfe-48e1-11ed-8176-c5c5e560820a?shareToken=bb95ff5e988ec157b06e22f7455eb977

I think you're right. The other thing that this brings into question, and I don't want to distract from the issues with Mermaids, but I do want to draw attention to further safeguarding issues, is that this person has been posting on Tiktok and had an open IG, but there was nothing done by either SM provider about the content.

Any organisation who believes children and young people don’t check out people they meet in organisations, or people who have the organisation in their bio or feed are clueless.

It should be one of the first things checked before hiring.

You wouldn't get these types of people hanging around a charity for strokes or hypothyroidism.

Why are they always associated with children's charities, specifically lgbt?

I think we know, Warrior.. But to make inferences about why a group with a particular interest would be attracted to a wider group determined to lower boundaries within children and women will get me deleted.

I can say that the wider group have created this loophole themselves and I doubt all decision makers were merely naive….

More and more shit like this will filter out over the next weeks and months. Mermaids is finished.

Thank god.

More and more shit like this will filter out over the next weeks and months. Mermaids is finished.

I hope so elephantseal. But until the government speaks out or the police get involved, Mermaids are protected by so many powerful people that I can see a mass cover up coming. Despite what Savile taught us.

Thank you @MrsOvertonsWindow this is indeed very shocking. Not just the descriptions of the graphic sexual photos but the fact that “his role at Mermaids…enabled him to attend residential events”.

I actually feel sick.

I’ve often wondered this. So many hundreds and hundreds of really worthwhile charities - guide dogs, people with bowel cancer and heart disease, lifeboats etc etc. Why Mermaids (rhetorical question)??

Parents of children who have used the transgender youth charity Mermaids have complained to the watchdog after a worker posted explicit images and sexualised pictures “as a schoolgirl” online.

Did Mew say they were posing as a schoolgirl (wouldn't surprise me, it's not uncommon). Or are people finally stating the bleeding obvious without fear that they will be attacked for 'getting the wrong end of the stick'. Or being told 'they're just clothes so stop stereotyping'.

I know we compare this to Jimmy Savile, but this stuff is so much more in your face.

I expect Mermaids will take the view that whatever they does in theys own time is up to they and is private. Despite posting it all publicly.

Exactly. And I'm sure they will. But way The Times has written that article, people aren't buying it.

The number of porn soaked weirdoes who proliferate throughout this ideology is finally waking people up.

And yes, to whoever said they're lame. It's this odd dichotomy of huge power being given to people who you wouldn't normally listen to for five seconds.

Pleasantly surprised to see the Times publishing this. I thought if anyone was going to publish, it would either be the Telegraph or the Mail (though I expect Mail Online will pick it up later).

Very interesting to see the use of correctly-sexed pronouns. Is the Times putting two fingers up to IPSO? Or will they back down and change it?

Graham Linehan also has a very good piece on Mermaids this morning - a post from an anonymous mother who complained to Mermaids a couple of years ago about their youth forum. I hope she takes her evidence to the Charities Commission.

grahamlinehan.substack.com/p/a-mother-writes-to-mermaids

I really don’t see them coming back from this, this is just the start of what going to be uncovered.

I hope they take Stonewall down with them.

I hope this is the beginning of the scrutiny of all these groups. Including places like action for trans health, (who, unbelievably, were deemed legit enough to provide evidence to the government), trans actional, Gires, gendered intelligence, WPATH, press for change. All of them.

I hope they don't just stop at mermaids because it's a children's charity.

Uncomfortable but important article .. goodness me this is horrendous

Sadly, I do think they will just terminate a few more people and hire a new CEO and declare themselves ‘a new era’.

Sorry. I just cannot see it changing. I am pessimistic today.

He’s written a fair few articles for The Times HE supplement too!

I hope to god this is the end of them, however as others have said, we will then have lots of tiny charities springing up and it will be a complete nightmare to keep an eye on them.

Would it actually be better if MMs stays in place with a new CEO and safeguarding staff? (Can’t believe I’ve typed that!)

I've seen Mews balls.
Wish I hadn't.

Mermaids was running a webinar on ASD & Gender Identity for a SEND charity in the summer. Lots of people tried to complain but the SEND charity locked down their social media. I'm seriously considering sending the Charity this article to read.

Unfortunately, Mermaids started targeting SEND children once mainstream cash started dryi g up. It's really important that safeguarding is robust in SEND sector. Some Parents are so desperate for answers which makes them venerable to sharks like mermaids.

I don't think they're toast. This will prompt them to do what any dodgy, safeguarding-dismantling charity with an ounce of intelligence would have done a year ago - hide it better and make 0.1% effort (an increase from 0) to make it look like they've ever read safeguarding principles. By saying the right things and putting a nominal moderator on their forums. Maybe leaving off the "celebrating 4-year-olds' gender affirmation" photos but leaving the 10yo ones.

They'll still be pushing the idea that if you have a certain combination of body and personality you need to take drugs or crush your breasts.

My local council also had Mermaids in their gender identity resource page.

Considering that Mermaids has been used as a blunt stick by other more powerful organisations, such as Stonewall, to attack competition like LGB Alliance, it must be galling that they have no public protection other than token from those organisations who seemed to be benefitting from Mermaids existence

The others used Mermaids because they thought hiding behind children would distract from the motives of grown men pushing this ideology.

Graham Linehan also has a very good piece on Mermaids this morning - a post from an anonymous mother who complained to Mermaids a couple of years ago about their youth forum. I hope she takes her evidence to the Charities Commission.

Royal that was my complaint and I sent it to the CC not Mermaids at the time. The CC never bothered responding to me until I called them out on Twitter months later. I then got a DM saying they had looked into it but found no regulatory issues that needed their further involvement (see attached).

Don’t worry, I have this complaint and more in hand wrt the CC.

I agree with others that none of this will result in the shutting down of Mermaids. I think their murky side will just become even more hidden. However, hopefully with all of the exposure, people will start to question the wisdom of sending children and their parents to them- ie with greater public awareness enough parents will start contacting their schools, CAMHS etc to ask them to ensure they don’t signpost to Mermaids.

Here you go. It was 'life saving' apparently. I really hate the way they shoehorn this emotionally manipulative language into everything.

mermaidsuk.org.uk/news/residential-reflections/ (the page has been archived too in case it disappears)

Incidentally Carrie Lyall (who wrote this) and Darren Mews are the only two named writers of mermaids regular blog posts.

Also, I looked up what the role of a digital engagement officer entails.

The first link that came up was for one at MIND. Part of their job description is 'Identify, collate and disseminate digital narratives from individuals with lived experience profiling individuals as anti-stigma ambassadors' which led me to wondering how much involvement Maws had in the 'say my name' project.