‘Disturbing’ stranger contacts girl, 9, on online game MovieStarPlanet

Rachel Harrison said her daughter Jenna started crying and was too scared to sleep after someone began targeting her through the online chat facility of the computer game MovieStarPlanet.

The stranger — who had created a profile with a similar name to Jenna — was still able to send the message, despite not being “friends” with the schoolgirl.

They had written ‘Hey babe, I’m a mind reader. I bet I can tell you your name, your age and the school you go to’.

Ms Harrison, a nail technician from Sheffield, citicised the programmers for allowing strangers to make contact with children when adult social networks like Twitter do not allow it.

She said: “As a mum it was so very scary, I didn’t sleep all night. I am going to make it my mission that every children’s computer game has facilities so a stranger can’t contact children directly.

“It just seems ludicrous with all the grooming that has been highlighted recently that this isn’t already in place, when it is on websites like Twitter for adults — it’s mind-blowing.

“I am determined to do something about it. Unless people say something, the games will not change their operations.”

Jenna rejected the friend request after learning about internet safety.

Rachel contacted police and the game makers, who told her the other user had been blocked.

A spokesman for MovieStarPlanet, based in Denmark, said the child safety and protection was of “paramount concern”.

It said numerous safeguarding methods, including trained moderators, language filtering systems and user feedback were employed, and the firm co-operated with law enforcement agencies.

Parents were also given advice and encouraged to participate in their child’s online activities, it added.