ORINDA – When parents confer with their teens about Internet safety and the hazards of online encounters with strangers, the topic of bondage and tickling probably doesn't come up.
But that's exactly what happened to a handful of teenagers in downtown Contra Costa, based on authorities.
Police in Moraga and Orinda are investigating a tip that at the very least a half-dozen boys were contacted via social media by a mysterious tickler with a proposal. People who met him described him as a polite and “businesslike” middle-aged man who offered the boys $600 to be tied up, tickled and filmed at a predetermined, discreet location, authorities said.
Some of the boys gave in. And the videos soon began circulating on social media, police said.
At least 4 boys from a Lamorinda-area highschool reportedly arranged to satisfy the person at an Alameda County hotel. When they entered the room, he was already waiting for them with cameras. They chatted briefly, then the boys were tied hand and foot, separately, and tickled on a bed for 30 to 45 seconds. The boys were fully clothed and the person stopped occasionally to ask if every thing was OK and allowed them breaks between tickling sessions, authorities said.
The man allegedly told the kids the videos were for his “personal collection” after which paid the boys in money. This meeting took place last yr, police said.
Police became aware of the disturbing encounter last month when the person allegedly made contact with two other teenagers within the Lamorinda area.
This time, the person said he desired to pay $600 to boys willing to undergo the identical treatment and $100 for referrals to other boys. He added that he hoped to seek out subjects who were “very ticklish,” authorities said. The offer was accompanied by a video of teenagers being tickled, and the videos reportedly began circulating soon after at Miramonte High School in Orinda and Campolindo High School in Moraga.
Police have launched an investigation. While California's penal code doesn’t specifically prohibit tickling teenagers, if the tickling or filming was done for sexual reasons, it could violate various federal and state laws. So far, police haven’t announced any arrests or said whether or not they have identified the tickler.
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