Lewd Instagram account steals pics of Radnor students

RADNOR, pa. (WPVI) -- Police on the Main Line are trying to figure out who was stealing perfectly innocent photos of underage girls, then turning them into something perverted with a single post.

Officers met privately with parents at the Radnor Police Department after they say a lewd Instagram account posted pictures of juvenile girls with graphic, sexual messages.

Det. Jim Santoliquito explains, "Understandably, some of them are pretty upset about it. But we have to emphasize that they didn't do anything wrong in this."

Radnor police are sending a strong message to parents and kids after detectives say an inappropriate Instagram account, that's now deactivated, victimized more than 20 Radnor girls.

Santoliquito says, "There's nothing wrong with the pictures at all. It's just what this individual had added to the comments under the pictures that are very disturbing."

Police say the girls posted the pictures of themselves - fully clothed - to their own Instagram accounts. Then, investigators say, the suspect reposted the pictures to a different Instagram account, adding sexually explicit captions.

According to the Radnor Township School District website, some of the girls are students at Radnor Middle School.

We caught up with Theresa Ching, whose son goes to the middle school. She tells us, "I don't know, but I'm pretty sure it probably was a kid, a bunch of kids just acting inappropriately."

Sarah DeGenova, whose kids aren't quite old enough for middle school, is careful about posting pictures of her children online because of disturbing allegations like the ones that surfaced this week.

Sarah says, "It is scary. It makes me hesitate and it makes me do it less. And it makes me nervous about when they get older."

Detectives say they are working with Instagram on this investigation.

Also at Friday night's meeting, representatives from Delaware County's chapter of Women Against Rape to offer information, education and support.

If you have any information on who might be behind this account, Radnor detectives would like to hear from you.