In 2016, CBS News called it "a predator's paradise", and Wikipedia notes that it lacks E2EE while permitting sign-ups without providing any valid contact information.
How is E2EE relevant here. And permitting sign ups with only email or less used to be the standard everywhere. Also according the sentencing [0] the perp and victim initially met on Google+.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kik_(app)
In 2016, CBS News called it "a predator's paradise", and Wikipedia notes that it lacks E2EE while permitting sign-ups without providing any valid contact information.