The Hawkesbury Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is investigating an incident where a young person was lured over the Internet for sexual purposes.
The OPP has had recent reports of online sexual exploitation targeting young children and is warning parents about young people sharing sexual images/videos.
In many incidents, young people do not think about the dangers of child luring, sexual exploitation, and abuse. They believe they are engaging with another young person, even though it is typically an adult. The connections start within social networking sites and then progress to live video feeds where kids engage in sexual behaviours that are secretly recorded by offenders.
While many teens understand the dangers associated with recording and sharing sexual images and videos, they are not as aware of the risks associated with live video feeds. With relative ease, anyone can capture a still image or video of a person sexually exposing themselves – all without the other person’s knowledge. The transfer of images and videos between person A and B may be intercepted by people such as pedophiles and other predators who may use the information to intimidate, blackmail or threaten.
As parents, we all have an important role to play in the online protection of children. The OPP encourages parents, grandparents, caregivers, and community members to become more informed. Parents need to be fully aware of the risks children and youth may encounter while using the Internet. It is important to talk with teens, and younger children, about never complying with online threats, and to talk with their parents if it happens.
The OPP encourages parents and teachers alike to visit The Door That’s Not Locked website (www.thedoorthatsnotlocked.ca), a comprehensive resource with age-specific Internet safety information. The Canadian Centre for Child Protection www.protectchildren.ca provides parents, educators, and communities with current information about children’s online activities and what we can do to make the Internet a safer place. It includes valuable information on protecting youth from online luring, the growing issue of sexting, as well as how to talk to your child about healthy relationships and appropriate boundaries.
