Video-sharing app TikTok has been slammed after failing to stop abusive members sending sexual and threatening messages to children.
The app, which allows people to act out film scenes and lipsync to songs, has become popular with youngsters and has more than 500 million users worldwide.
But a three-month investigation found most accounts that repeatedly sent inappropriate messages to young women and girls were allowed to remain on the app without punishment, despite the company deleting the posts when they were flagged up.
TikTok said user safety was its top priority and pledged to do more to protect children, adding it has a team going through thousands of comments every day.
It comes as Children's Commissioner Anne Longfield has confirmed she will be seeking a meeting with TikTok to discuss child protection.
Video-sharing app TikTok has been slammed after failing to stop abusive members sending sexual and threatening messages to children
A three-month investigation found most accounts that repeatedly sent inappropriate messages to young women and girls were allowed to remain on the app without punishment
The BBC found hundreds of sexual comments on videos uploaded by teenagers and children, many of whom were female
Although TikTok has a policy of only accepting users over 13, many children are still able to get around its age gate, with some as young as nine.
The BBC investigation found hundreds of sexual comments on videos uploaded by teenagers and children, many of whom were female.
The messages were reported and the majority were deleted, but some were allowed to remain.
Often the accounts behind the messages use pseudonyms to remain anonymous.
One parent, known only as Chris, told the BBC his 10-year-old son had been using TikTok without his knowledge and began receiving threats to 'come and get him'.
He said: 'If [my son] had started engaging in conversation, what could have been next?'
'It's disgusting. TikTok's got a responsibility now and if people are getting on there and seeing messages like this should be contacting the police at the very least.'
Teenagers Emily Steers and Lauren Kearns, of Northamptonshire, both 15, run a channel that has more than one million followers and say they enjoy receiving support from fans but also get sent sexually-themed comments.
Emily's father Mark told the BBC: 'It is a bit worrying. When they do catch people saying bad things or sexual things, they should have the power to block them or actually take them away straightaway.'
