Girl, 5, ‘brainwashed’ by sick Momo Challenge cut off her own hair leaving mum devastated
A fresh warning has been issued to parents about the creepy Momo character infiltrating kids' TV shows and games
A FIVE-YEAR-OLD girl cut off her own hair after being "brainwashed" by the sick Momo Challenge affecting young kids all over the internet.
Mum Sammi is devastated after her little girl was targeted by the creepy character infiltrating kids' TV shows and games online, like Peppa Pig and Fortnite.
The youngster was following Momo's instructions after it popped up in a YouTube video she was watching.
It threatens kids into carrying out requests, saying there'll be consequences if they don't complete them.
And the little girl even issued a chilling warning to her own mum, telling her: "Best keep one eye open when you’re sleeping!"
Her mum, from Cheltenham, said: "I feel like my precious little girl has been brainwashed by this sick game.
"Thank God she only cut her hair - it could have been so much worse."
SICK GAME
Describing the moment she found her in the bathroom, she said: "She was standing in the middle of the room with a pair of kitchen scissors by her side - there was hair everywhere.
"Her beautiful, blond hair had been hacked off, right down to the scalp, on both sides of her head. I burst into tears and felt sick to my stomach.
"My jaw dropped when she said 'Momo made me do it'.
"She said that Momo wants everybody to be bald and made fun of her for having long hair.
"And Momo threatened to hurt her if she didn’t cut her hair off."
She added: "Looking back, she had been acting strangely for a few days. I think that was because of Momo.
WARNING TO PARENTS
"Now she says things like 'Momo will tell me what to do next' and 'Momo won’t let me say'."
A YouTube spokesman said they hadn't received any evidence of videos showing or promoting the Momo challenge on YouTube.
After the little girl was convinced to cut off her hair by the sick character, she was taken to Toddler Trims in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, who posted a warning about the incident to Facebook.
They wrote: "I’ve jst had a beautiful little girl in affected by this sick MOMO challenge!! If you are unaware this sick human/mutant is hacking into peppa pig, fortnight, minecraft etc..
"Any & most children’s YouTube videos, telling them to cut there hair off, hold Knives up to there throat, set themselves on fire & that it will suck all the blood from there body ... this little girl is off to the doctors after her new haircut 😢😢 She is 5years old & still keeps talking about momo, her mother is absolutely devastated!!
Is the Momo Challenge a hoax?
THE Momo Challenge is believed to have originated in South America.
The creepy face of a Japanese sculpture was hijacked and spread on WhatsApp - reportedly with instructions enticing children to perform a series of dangerous tasks including self-harm and suicide.
In recent days police and schools have issued warnings about the challenge arriving in the UK and a number of parents have said their children have been exposed to it.
Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom even told MPs the Government is "extremely concerned" about it.
But confusingly UK charities and internet experts have suggested the challenge is a hoax.
The Samaritans and the NSPCC said there is no confirmed evidence anyone has come to physical harm.
And YouTube claimed: "We have found no evidence of videos showing or promoting the Momo challenge on YouTube."
While it appears the challenge itself may not have reached Britain, sick copycats have been traumatising children by splicing a ghoulish video of a bug-eyed girl into Peppa Pig cartoons and Fortnite gameplay footage.
"Thankfully we have managed to give her a cute pixie cut which she loves but still won’t promise me she won’t listen to MOMO again.
"I couldn’t help but feel this monster has brainwashed her :((
"Her mother is pretty traumatised & turning the internet off for now. She has asked me to make everyone aware of this sick sick challenge & what it is doing to our babys!!! Please search #momochallenge on fb/google & keep your babies off the net... this could’ve been a lot worse!"
HACKING KIDS TV AND GAMES
The warning post from yesterday afternoon has already been shared over 60K times and has over 17K comments, including supportive messages from other parents.
Parents have reported their kids connecting with Momo on WhatsApp who then sends instructions for them to harm, or even kill, themselves.
Kids are being threatened by the mysterious being if they don't complete the requests.
The game itself centres around the disturbing image of a woman with grotesque features and bulging, black-ringed eyes.
Mobile phone numbers have appeared online asking internet users to add them on WhatsApp to play the game.
It has been linked to a series of reported suicides among youngsters across the globe in countries including Colombia, Argentina and India.
The deaths have caused widespread panic and a number of police forces have been so concerned they have issued warnings about the game.
SAFETY NET: How to keep your child safe online
The Internet can be an amazing tool to help children learn and play.
But with the digital world changing all the time, how can you make sure your child is safe?
Set up parental controls
- Parental controls can be used to block upsetting or harmful content, control in-app purchases or manage how long your child spends online
- The filters can help control what time of day your child can go online, and to stop them from downloading apps they are too young for
Talk to your children
- Have regular conversations about what your child is doing online
- Explore sites and apps together
- Talk about what personal information they should share online
- Create a family agreement about what behaviour is appropriate when they are online
Do your research
- Check through websites your child will use through the
- Change privacy settings and turning off location sharing
If you need help now, you can phone experts on the free NSPCC & O2 helpline 0808 800 5002
MOST READ IN NEWS
Now, a raft of Brit parents have come forward revealing how their own kids have been left in tears after being targeted by Momo.
One mum said her son had even been told to put a knife to his neck in one of the sick challenges, while a six-year-old was warned "I'm going to kill you" while watching a kids' gaming channel.
The creepy character has also started popping up on social media platforms including YouTube, Fortnite and Minecraft - with even Peppa Pig episodes used as a vessel to terrify youngsters.
FOR KIDS: How to say no
It can sometimes be hard to stand up to your friends, so Childline offers the following tips on how to say no:
1) Say NO with confidence:
Be assertive. It’s your choice and you don’t have to do something which makes you feel unsafe or uncomfortable.
2) Try not to judge them:
By respecting their choices, they should respect yours.
3) Spend time with friends who can say ‘no’:
It takes confidence and courage to say no to your friends. Spend time with other friends who also aren’t taking part.
4) Suggest something else to do:
If you don’t feel comfortable doing what your friends are doing, suggest something else to do.
Any child worried about peer pressure or online worries can contact on 0800 1111
To contact , you can call the helpline on 0808 800 5000 or children under 18 can call 0800 1111