Justin Bieber’s dad, Jeremy Bieber, is facing backlash online after posting bikini pictures of his six-year-old daughter.
Three days after her birth, Jeremy and his wife Chelsea opened an Instagram profile for little Bay, dedicated to watching her grow.
But while her parents control the account, the comments on their posts tell a different story.
A few questionable remarks have been made under photos of Bay enjoying a day at the pool and practicing her cheerleading skills, and netizens have placed the blame on her parents.
Justin Bieber’s dad is being slammed online after posting bikini photos of his six-year-old daughter
Bay’s account has documented every little milestone she has achieved, from her first day at school to eventful beach days.
On many of the photos, people have warned the couple of the dangers of posting online, labeling their actions as “sick” and “disturbing,” especially with over 351,000 followers watching her every move.
“How can you post something like this,” one person said, while another echoed, “Why post this!?! Stop that!!! Poor girl. Say hello to all the p3ds out there.”
Another wrote, “So wrong and grotesque. How could a father do this to his daughter? Poor Justin.”
“Sick and disturbing,” said a user.
“Bikinis and little clothing on babies puts them at risk of being stalked by predators online,” someone advised. “It all starts [with] parents posting too much about [their] body.”
Netizens were proven right after a string of inappropriate comments were posted
An analysis conducted by Daily Mail revealed that many of Bay’s most liked posts—aside from those with her and Justin—featured her wearing bikinis or cheer outfits. It was also estimated that 20% of Bay’s followers were grown men aged 18 through 34.
“Shawty maaaad thiccc,” said someone, with two drooling face emojis, under a photo of Bay in a bikini when she was three months old.
“Your legs are very perfect,” one user commented on a post of Bay wearing a floral-print two-piece. “Looks so great and cute.”
They later added, “Bay, are you using some oil in your body?”
The same account declared that Bay was their “mini crush” below a separate picture.
Experts have agreed that parents should be aware of the risks of posting photos of their babies online
Social media accounts that feature children are prime targets for predators, according to professionals.
“[Instagram is] commonly known to be a leading site visited by pedophiles looking for images of children,” Lori Cohen, CEO of Protect All Children from Trafficking, informed Daily Mail.
She added, “A parent would not set loose their bikini-clad child in a room full of pedophiles. Why would they post an image of that same child online where they will potentially be viewed and — even more frightening — contacted by many thousands of them?”
The New York Times launched an investigation in February of this year, focusing on 5,000 Instagram accounts that featured children and were managed by parents.
The newspaper showed that many of these profiles drew the attention of “men sexually attracted to children” and tracked exchanges on Telegram—an encrypted communication platform—where “men openly fantasize about sexually abusing the children they follow on Instagram.”