Parents ask private investigator to SPY on their 17-year-old during Schoolies

Published: 01:22, 5 May 2026 | Updated: 01:22, 5 May 2026 A private investigator has declined an overprotective parent's request to spy on their underage child while they party at Schoolies Week.   Cassie Crofts, the owner of Venus Investigations, said the parent had asked her to keep tabs on her 17-year-old when they attend the end-of-year celebrations.  Ms Crofts shared the potential job on TikTok, describing it as one of the strangest requests she had received to date.  'The parent asked if I would surveil their kid while they were on Schoolies later this year,' she said. 'This is the first time I've had a request like that.'  Ms Crofts said she was struggling to understand their perspective.  'I'm not a parent, so I can't say I know what's it's like to be in the situation of having a teenager going away and drinking without you for the first time,' she said.  Ms Crofts told the Daily Mail she had spoken to colleagues in the same industry who had rejected the case and decided to do the same.  'Ultimately, I didn't feel comfortable surveilling someone under 18, particularly after talking to the parents,' she explained.  Ms Crofts shared the potential job on TikTok, describing it as one of the strangest requests she had received to date.  'The parents and I had different views on the purpose of a surveillance like this.  'We couldn't agree on when would I step in versus just reporting back. 'I'm lucky to be in a position where I can decline cases I don't feel comfortable with. I think unless it's a missing person case, I'd be turning down cases involving a minor.'  Aussies agreed it was the right decision. 'I think the 17-year-old has the right to privacy,' one commenter said.  'I think the parent should talk to their child and then have to trust their child.' 'If I was in your shoes, I wouldn't do it,' a second agreed.  'It almost sounds creepy,' a third said. The 17-year-old was planning on heading to Schoolies week after they graduated later this year However, some thought the private investigator should have taken the job.  'A lot of people who have attended Schoolies never made it home, so I don't think it's the worst idea,' one person said.  'They just want to keep them safe, so do it,' another said.  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.