Babysitting website puts girls at risk of being stalked

Melbourne, June 14 (ANI): Young girls looking for babysitting work on job websites may be putting themselves at risk of being stalked by men looking for paid sex.

Girls as young as 17 are posting their photos, names and contact details on classifieds site gumtree.com.au and are being preyed on by sleazy men seeking nude models or sexual favours.

Northbridge writer Carla Johnson said that she posted her babysitting ad for extra work but was shocked to receive disturbing replies.

"What's wrong with these people? My ad was very clear," News.com.au quoted Johnson as saying.

"I want to babysit, not offer my services to sad-and-lonelies.

"One more dirty email or phone call and I'm taking the ad down. Obviously the recession hasn't hit the perves of the world," she added.

However, Lindsey Hewett, 21, a student from Wentworthville, has taken precautions by putting false details on her advertisement.

She even got a new SIM card especially for the phone calls, so if anything got out of hand she could just throw it away.

"I have known people who were looking for work and have been harassed," she said.

"I would never put up a photo of myself, I think that sends the wrong message and encourages perves and creeps," she added. (ANI)