After photos of her 5-year-old daughter hit the Internet without warning, an Emmitsburg woman has started a crusade against cyberbullying.
Sherry Myers said she visited WellSpan ReadyCare in Gettysburg, Pa., where a man secretly took photos of Jayden, her daughter, and posted them on Facebook.
The photos taken by the man resulted in people questioning Jayden's gender.
"I am really upset about it," Myers said. "It's horrible."
Myers soon learned that the photos were taken by a Pennsylvania firefighter with Lake Meade Fire and Rescue. The man has since apologized, but Myers said his apology is not enough.
A caption accompanying one of his photographs pokes fun at Jayden's shoes; one with another photo asks others to guess if Jayden is a boy or a girl.
"It's disgusting," Myers said. "He is supposed to be protecting my daughter, not putting her on a social network for her to be bullied."
Outraged by the photos, more than 800 social media users have flocked to a Facebook page called "Justice for Jayden."
"The sole purpose of this page is to let the public know our story of cyber bullying! How we handled it and that if they are faced with this situation that they are not alone," Myers wrote. "I want this to be an informative page to help victims like my daughter."
When contacted by The Frederick News-Post, the firefighter said he posted the pictures, but could not offer an explanation about why he took the photographs.
He said a public apology was posted on his Facebook page. He also said that he personally apologized to the family.
But Myers said that she was not mollified by his words.
"The apology that he gave me was very limited and it was not until after the fact," she said.
Myers said she went to Pennsylvania State Police about what happened. The agency has not charged the man with a crime. ___
(c)2013 The Frederick News-Post (Frederick, Md.)
Visit The Frederick News-Post (Frederick, Md.) at www.fredericknewspost.com
Distributed by MCT Information Services
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