Minister sorry he ‘liked’ picture of exposed teen

An Australian politician says he learned a valuable lesson in social networking after he “liked” a Facebook photo without realising that it showed a teenage prankster exposing himself.

Peter Collier apologised for 'liking' a picture of a teenager who exposed himself as a prank. Picture: AFP/Getty

• Australian minister Peter Collier apologises for inadvertantly liking a picture of a teenager who exposed himself

• Prank popularised by TV show Angry Boys is employed to ruin photos

Western Australia 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 issued an apology yesterday and said he had no idea that the teen, 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 offense.”

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 all 1,300 class yearbooks of a student subtly exposing his genitals.

The Australia incident did not attract attention until late last month, when the teen bragged on Twitter about fooling Collier, whom he was friends with on Facebook.