A Florida-based toy company has pulled a toy car for sale from the market following the discovery that a heart symbol printed on the item is similar to a sign used as a secret code by paedophiles preying on young girls.
Mom Nicole O'Kelly told WFLA-TV that she bought the toy car for her two-year-old daughter at a Monster Jam event in Florida.
Printed on the pink toy truck is a heart shape symbol.
She began to investigate its meaning and was shocked to find out that it was a symbol used by paedophiles.
"This is pink. This is for little girls, especially at a predominately male event," she said, according to Christian News Network.
According to the report, when a paedophile sees the heart symbol, it's a code "meaning this child is ready for sex."
"It's the most vile thing you can ever imagine," Pasco County Detective Anthony Bossone said. He said the heart symbol targets girls while the triangle symbol targets boys.
The toy manufacturer, Feld Inc., which designed the toy, said when they learned about the symbol's meaning, they pulled all their items from shelves.
"We reacted immediately. We wanted to do the right thing as quickly as possible," representative Stephen Payne. "I had no idea there was an underlying meaning of these symbols and the deplorable behavior," he stated. "We just don't know if a crime was committed here ... We just want to make sure it doesn't happen again."
Feld is offering refunds for the toy and reiterated that the company was not aware of the symbol.
"Customers who have purchased this truck can contact our customer service department for an exchange or refund. The company was not aware of the disturbing message contained in the truck's design, nor did we intend to use any design that had a secret or double meaning. We are currently reviewing our merchandise to ensure that it's appropriate for our customers," he said.
