AUSTIN, Texas — A Lakeway man is accused of using social media to trade vape supplies and alcohol for sex with underage boys.
RELATED: Lakeway man accused of providing vape supplies, alcohol to minors in exchange for sexual favors
According to law enforcement, Luann Fabric Campos Leao Hida, 25, used social media to communicate with his victims using messaging app WhatsApp. They said he went by "The LOTR," or the Lord of the Rings.
Hida faces 505 years in federal prison after being indicted for producing, distributing and having child pornography.
Dr. Gina Masullo Chen is an assistant professor in the school of journalism at UT.
She said it can be easy for kids to get lured into dangerous situations on social media.
"They’re communicating all the time with their friends, so when someone reaches out to them, it doesn’t seem as odd as it might be to me if someone randomly was like, ‘Hey, I’ll trade vapes for sexual favors.’ I mean I would be suspicious of that because I don’t do that with my friends, but they talk about everything and everything is online to them," she said.
Chen said she's a parent of two teenagers, so she knows this firsthand.
"I have a 19-year-old and a 16-year-old, and I think the best thing parents can do is talk to their kids. I’m not one of those parents who said, ‘No social media, you’re not allowed to use it.’ Because, guess what, they’re going to use it anyway. So, if you do that, you sort of ensure that they’re not going to talk to you if something goes awry," she explained.
Chen had three tips for parents: don't ban social media, talk to your kids about social media and safety, and educate yourself about it too.
"As more and more people get on it, and more and more people use it, they’re going to exploit it for bad. Anything that can be used for good can be used for bad, but I also don’t think you should throw the whole thing out," she said. "It’s just you have to know there’s always going to be a dark side."
Chen said communication with your kids is key so if they get a message they shouldn't, they will hopefully tell you about it.
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