A Hillsborough County mother who posts on Instagram as The Real Collette (Hustle and Mommy) (@colletteboykins) says she discovered shocking sexual images and explicit messages on her 9-year-old daughter’s phone.
She said she was so alarmed that the only thing she could think of was to turn the child’s devices over to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
The woman told followers she first suspected something was wrong when her daughter began asking questions about sex. Driven by maternal instinct, she said she checked the child’s phone and found “horrific” and explicit photos and texts on Snapchat.
Distressed in a video posted to social media, the mother urged other parents to monitor their children’s devices closely and said she was on her way to law enforcement as soon as she realized what she had found.
“I knew something wasn’t right,” the mother wrote in her Instagram post. In the accompanying video she described finding images and conversations she said involved grown adults and immediately turned the devices in to investigators.
She also questioned whether giving her children phones and iPads may have left them vulnerable.
Hillsborough County law enforcement officials confirmed that the devices were in police custody for forensic examination. Detectives will review the phones and apps for evidence, which could include identifying the people who sent the images, tracing message histories, and preserving data that may be used in criminal charges.
Possible criminal offenses under state and federal law include the production, distribution, or possession of sexually explicit material involving minors and online enticement of a child. Prosecutors will evaluate any evidence prior to filing charges.
Child-advocacy organizations note that early parental intervention and timely reporting to police are critical.
Investigators often work with digital-forensics teams and may coordinate with state or federal child-protection units and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children when online exploitation is suspected.
Community reaction on social media has been intense, with many parents thanking the mother for speaking out and others using the post as a warning to review parental controls and privacy settings on children’s devices.
“It’s not you, it’s them. It’s hard out here for us Mom. Keep you baby close, you’re doing the right thing. Prayers for you and your baby,” one person commented.
The mother’s video — which contains repeated anguished exclamations and profanity as she describes her discoveries — has been widely shared and underscores the emotional toll such incidents take on families.
Law enforcement officials urge any parent who finds suspected illegal images or communications involving a child to preserve the devices, avoid sharing the content, and contact local police immediately.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has not yet released information about potential suspects or whether any arrests have been made; detectives say the investigation is ongoing.
