THE MOTHER of a sex grooming victim has revealed that hundreds of men are stalking her daughter for sex via the internet.

The woman said that the 16-year-old's homepages on sites such as MySpace, Flixster and Bebo were filled with pictures of sinister looking older men after she had accepted them as 'friends'.

And she said that the girl, who had been taken into care to try and protect her from sexual predators who were grooming her for sex, was now completely out of control.

The plight of the girl, Lindsey (not her real name), was highlighted last year when the Lancashire Telegraph launched its Keep Them Safe Campaign, aimed at tackling the growing number of men, predominently Asian, targeting young girls for sex.

The mother, Julie (not her real name), from Blackburn, has worked to support the campaign and has now written a book detailing her own experiences.

She has also formed a parent support group for other families caught up in the web of sexual exploitation involving children.

She said her daughter had 113 Asian male friends on her Flixster site alone, and more than 200 in total.

She added: "She talks in a gangster language I don't even understand.

"On her profile she says she loves to 'chil and chang wid ma bitches and boiz'.

"Chill is slang for having sex so I dread to think about what she's talking about.

"I have made complaint after complaint about this but nothing is being done. I'm always the last one to know."

Her mum said the situation was spiralling out of control and she was left waiting for the call to say that her daughter, a Blakewater College pupil, had been raped or murdered.

She is among dozens of girls who have been groomed for sex by gangs of men, predominantly Asian, who lure them into a sordid world by showering them with gifts and driving them around in flash cars.

Lindsey's mum added: "My only contact with her is through the websites.

"But she hasn't logged onto them for over a month.

"I don't know whether that's a good or bad sign. I'm worried sick about her.

"These men are nothing but dirty perverts."

Sergeant Mark Whellan, of Operation Engage set up in conjunction with Blackburn with Darwen Council to tackle the sex grooming problem, said: "I am aware of the issue.

"There is an awful lot of internet grooming that goes on all over the country.

"The Metropolitan Police have a team of about 50 police officers who are purely looking at this issue."

An investigation by the Lancashire Telegraph revealed that up to 100 girls aged between 12 and 16 in East Lancashire had been groomed into childhood prostitution by gangs of men.

Our Keep Them Safe campaign is backed by police, social services, children's charities, community leaders and the parents of victims.

It has led to increased funding for rersources to tackle the issue and an international conference is being held in Lancashire later this year to discuss ways of tackling the problem.

Research carried out by the University of Central Lancashire showed that a third of East Lancashire youngsters - including children as young as nine - have been targeted by paedophiles after receiving unwanted sexual and "nasty" comments online.

A website has been created to highlight the dangers of internet grooming and offers advice on how to use the internet safely and to report such incidents to police and other agencies.

The website, www.thinkuknow.co.uk contains games, information and advice on how to stay safe on line.