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Australian politician sorry for 'liking' Facebook photo of teenager's genitals | Australian politician sorry for 'liking' Facebook photo of teenager's genitals |
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An Australian politician says he has learned a valuable lesson in social networking after he "liked" a Facebook photo without realising that it showed a teenage prankster exposing himself. | An Australian politician says he has learned a valuable lesson in social networking after he "liked" a Facebook photo without realising that it showed a teenage prankster exposing himself. |
Western Australia's minister for education, Peter Collier, said he clicked the "like" button under what he thought was an innocent photo of the then 16-year-old in late 2011. | Western Australia's minister for education, Peter Collier, said he clicked the "like" button under what he thought was an innocent photo of the then 16-year-old in late 2011. |
Collier apologised on Thursday and said he had no idea that the teenager, who was otherwise fully clothed and posing alongside an older man, was playing a prank commonly known as "sneaky nuts". | Collier apologised on Thursday and said he had no idea that the teenager, who was otherwise fully clothed and posing alongside an older man, was playing a prank commonly known as "sneaky nuts". |
"At first glance it appeared to be a harmless picture," Collier said in a statement. "It was a silly mistake on my part. I only became aware of the actual content of the photo when shown by a journalist today. This obviously highlights the pitfalls of social media. I apologise if I caused any offence." | "At first glance it appeared to be a harmless picture," Collier said in a statement. "It was a silly mistake on my part. I only became aware of the actual content of the photo when shown by a journalist today. This obviously highlights the pitfalls of social media. I apologise if I caused any offence." |
The stunt was popularised by Australian comedian Chris Lilley's TV show Angry Boys, in which a character revels in ruining group photos by secretly exposing himself. The prank has been a headache for some educators: last year, administrators at a Catholic school in Canada scrambled to place stickers over a photo printed in 1,300 class yearbooks of a student subtly exposing his genitals. | |
The Australian incident did not attract attention until late last month, when the teenager bragged on Twitter about fooling Collier, with whom he was friends on Facebook. | |
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