The Facebook sites, set up by anonymous administrators late last week, encourage people to describe their sexual partners and give them a score out of 10.

The concept went viral in the south-west on Friday as thousands of users flocked to at least four different sites to read the explicit stories.

While two sites were shut down following complaints and threats, the most popular site was still in operation yesterday and had nearly 1200 members.

Another site had more than 300 friends but as an open page was able to be read by anyone on Facebook.

Police, schools and parents have been contacted about the sites, which has been accused by other Facebook users of promoting cyber bullying and paedophilia.

Teenagers as young as 13 have been identified as accessing the risque content, but the administrator of one site has denied they have malicious or damaging intentions.

“This is in no way a site set up for ‘cyber bullying’ and as I have mentioned a few times anyone found under 16 on this page will be blocked,” they posted.

“We do NOT want any rates for someone under 16 for privacy reasons.”

A site dealing in gossip for Portland residents, featuring many slanderous comments, was also created over the weekend.

A Warrnambool police spokeswoman yesterday confirmed that numerous complaints had been made to police in relation to the online activity.

Similar sexual ratings sites have previously been set up across regions and cities.

Queensland University of Technology digital law expert Peter Black said it was a federal offence to use Facebook or Twitter to menace, harass or cause offence to others.

“If the sites are in violation of Facebook’s terms of service, the company can take action to shut down the sites and, if necessary, warn the users involved that their own sites might be terminated,” he said.

“The second issue would be questioning whether there is violation of civil liberty and the most likely would be defamation. The third issue is whether there have been any criminal laws broken.”