A BURLESQUE dancer has been accused of grooming a 13-year-old boy after she allegedly sent him naked pictures of herself via Instagram – then joked that she was a “pedo”.
Bethany Edgecombe, 20, who goes by the name Blondie Australia on social media, flashed her breasts when confronted about the claims by a TV crew in a busy street.
The 20-year-old, who posts provocative snaps to her 100,000 followers, admitted sending explicit messages and pictures to the Queensland teenager when approached by A Current Affair this week.
She started sending sexual messages to the boy last year after he mentioned her in one of his stories, the programme reports.
Blondie, an exotic dancer from the NSW Central Coast, first asked the teen if he was a “virgin”.
When he replied that he was, she said, “I call dibs on that virginity.”
In another message she wrote, “Hold onto that virginity, I’ll be going past your part of town in a week or two. And don’t tell anyone, don’t think you’re even legal.”
When the boy told her he was 13, she wrote, “I really must be a pedo cos that’s so hot,” with a laughing face emoji.
Blondie initially laughed at the claims when confronted by the TV crew in central Melbourne, but eventually admitted to sending him inappropriate messages.
Reporter Dan Nolan asked her: “What would you like to say to this boy’s parents?”
Then, lifting her top to expose her boobs, Blondie said: “Thank you, that is my comment.”
However, Blondie was not serious about meeting the boy.
“Did I ever see the boy though? Have I ever seen the boy or is it just silly harmless chatting?… That’s how I see it,” she said.
Have I ever seen the boy or is it just silly harmless chatting?… That’s how I see it
Bethany Edgecombe
No charges have been made against Blondie, but Queensland Police said investigations were ongoing.
Blondie was accused of texting the teenager nude photographs while he was at the movies with his mother.
Message receipts show her asking the boy to sneak off to the bathroom.
She wrote: “Now… Show me what I do to you? Sneak off to the bathroom bad boy. Sneak off and don’t tell your mummy.”
When Nolan showed Blondie the messages, she claimed they were old.
She said: “You know I was like 18 when I did this. It’s like two years ago.”
But it’s alleged the text messages were sent just last year.
In a statement the boy’s mum said: “What kind of a sick individual does that? How dare she try and manipulate any child with her evil perverted ways for her own self-gratification.”
The boy told A Current Affair he initially enjoyed his conversations with Blondie, before she became “pushy”.
Queensland Police said in a statement: “These matters can take time to thoroughly investigate, particularly when a forensic examination is required.
“The matter is still under investigation and detectives are making every effort to finalise this as a priority.”
