i think i just let a paedophile see me help!

I was using an app called Paltalk to ask about a dream I had, and then this man
seemed suddenly interested; he then insisted that I friend him and wanted me to
come into a private chatroom so I joined it feeling a bit apprehensive. (I now know why) and I was greeted by him and and an elderly German lady. and we talked
and he heard my accent and asked if I was from the U.K and I said yes; then I
carried on with my dream and it was nice but then afterwards (meaning now). he
just called me out of the blue and I didn't even have the choice to decline or
accept it. I was just put into the call and my camera turned on so I quickly turned
it off and then he asked me if I was from London and my
reply was no. and then he turned his camera on and he was a middle aged
probably in his 40's he was a white man with grey streaks sitting in a black leather chair; and then he started to say "turn your camera back on" and he said
"i sawww yooouuuu" in a playful yet creepy tone. I then made an excuse saying "my camera doesn't work I have no control over it" and then he said I called him
(but he called me) he then asked me what was on my mind and I sounded a bit
frightened so he said I can leave if I want.
But I am more concerned at the fact that he involuntarily put me in a video call and he saw my face and heard my voice I have unfriended him but I want more
advice so please help

Tbh, he could have just been a guy who wanted a chat? Just because he's grey and slightly creepy doesn't make him a paedophile. I think that's unfair. Him asking you to turn your cam on means little in that sense too. I mean, yeah, he *could* be into kids, but I really don't think you can come to that conclusion from what you've said happened. Are you even under 16?

Fair play for blocking him though, if you feel uncomfortable around someone online, then for sure don't engage. But it's dangerous to accuse people of paedophilia without evidence. Lots of people, of all ages, enjoy speaking to/looking at younger people, for all different reasons, and only one of them is paedophilia.

Don't talk to him again obviously since he's weird and you clearly have nothing in common, but an old man saw your face.


You're being fragile.

Anon is not being fragile, he/she is shaken by a creepy experience which he/she has the right to be. It doesn't mean the guy is a paedophile and it should not be assumed that he is, but the situation of a forty year old encouraging a thirteen year old to put their camera on is strange to me, honestly and I'm not at all judgemental of the OP for being a bit frightened by it. Especially as it was a new experience.

I think you should ensure from now on you don't use the app and be wary of who you add online. I know it will feel upsetting/stressful that he has seen your face, but even if he had sinister intentions, if you just make sure you BLOCK him (not just unfriend) discontinue using the app and not post anything involving your location on there then you've taken necessary precautions. I ventured onto the internet for the first time when I was thirteen and accidentally came across some questionable characters because I didn't really know how to navigate myself on the internet properly. Stick to safe, well populated, popular websites and don't post any personal information and you should be fine TSR will keep you safe if you suspect any such behaviour here and, from what I can see, the mods will take stuff like this seriously.

NEVER be afraid to voice concerns about stuff like this, even if people accuse you of being too sensitive or "fragile" or too reactive. Just be safe and don't accuse anyone of anything such as paedophilia without evidence. Simply giving an account of their behaviour to a mod and blocking the person is sufficient enough.

OP you did the right thing. You don't have to wait for someone to prove themselves to be more dangerous. It's enough that you felt scared. Listen to your gut instinct.

Generally, safe people don't turn on your webcam for you. They don't try to make you feel bad for being uncomfortable. You can report any online activity that makes you feel uncomfortable, anonymously, via ceop - search "ceop" or "thinkuknow". Thinkuknow has lots of advice for online relationships and what to do if someone has made you feel uncomfortable.

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We focus so much on prevention of online CSE and we place so much responsibility on the child to prevent it. Not the adults, not actually focussing on the fact that the behaviour this old man displayed could be classed as grooming (what stopped it was the OP acted on her instincts and unfriended) you would think, she would be applauded as this is the stuff we talk about children doing all the time. But nope. We tell them they are overreacting because the child didn't wait to be traumatised 🙄

Craziness. It's like when a man I didn't know pulled up at bus stop and offered me a lift home. I refused because I didn't know him and people's responses were..he probably meant no harm! But if I had got in the car and been raped or murdered it would have been "why did you get in the car. Why didn't you think about how unsafe it was?"