Following damning revelations of Graham Platner’s active profile on Kik—an app widely scrutinized by law enforcement and the National Center on Sexual Exploitation as a “predator’s paradise”—Maine voters have more questions than answers.
Platner must answer the following:
- Why did you choose to create and maintain an account on Kik, a platform that has been the subject of extensive reporting involving child exploitation, anonymous sexual activity, and predatory behavior?
- You joined Kik after reports exposed the app as responsible for a murder case and multiple child rape cases. Given your stated love of violence, was that what attracted you to the site?
- Did Kik appeal to you because it offered anonymity that traditional text messaging does not?
- Did you take the necessary steps to verify ages of users before communicating with them?
- Can you state unequivocally that you never communicated with a minor on Kik?
- Did you ever send or receive images from minors on Kik?
- Did you ever exchange photos, videos, or sexually explicit content with anyone on Kik?
- Did you ever meet anyone you first encountered through Kik in person?
- Has law enforcement ever contacted you regarding your use of Kik?
- Do you condemn child sexual exploitation, and, if so, why is your Kik profile still active?
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