The Crime and Misconduct Commission is warning parents and teachers to safeguard children from Internet predators by providing them with vital information on how to stay safe on the net.
Head of the CMC’s Child Sex Offender investigations Detective Inspector Sue Dawson is driving home the message during Child Protection Week (3–9 September).
She warns that paedophiles are constantly trawling chat rooms and every child using an online chat room is a potential victim.
‘While the internet exists, these predators will continue to prey on innocent children and there is only so much that law enforcement agencies can do,’ Detective Inspector Dawson said.
‘Both the CMC and the Queensland Police Service continue to monitor the Internet to track and catch these paedophiles.
‘But we are already seeing some of these offenders back online and active in the chat rooms despite previously being caught and charged with very serious offences.
‘There is a real concern that these people will continue to re-offend, so I can’t stress strongly enough to parents the need for them to take an active role in protecting their children.
‘My message to parents and teachers is don’t become complacent.
‘Stay vigilant and monitor your children’s online activities and provide them with information on how they can stay safe. These paedophiles hurt real children.’
A repeat offender from the CMC’s case files was initially charged with Internet offences, after he had been detected by covert police officers posing as children online. After his arrest on these charges, his seized computer was searched. This revealed that he had also committed offences against three under-age girls.
The girls had not made a complaint against the man, until they were contacted by the police.
The offender subsequently received a jail sentence for the Internet offences and the offences against the actual children.
In another instance, Queensland’s first convicted internet paedophile pleaded guilty to stalking a 16-year-old at her workplace, just 16 months after being released from jail for using the internet in an attempt to procure a child for sex.
Changes to the State’s Criminal Code in May 2003, making it an offence to use the Internet to organise sex involving children, have made it a lot easier for the CMC and the Queensland Police Service to charge online offenders.
In recent years there have been significant successes in combating online predators using the internet to make sexual contact with young people or exposing them to indecent material.
Between 2000 and April 2006, the CMC’s Egret Team arrested 103 offenders on 1328 charges.
‘There is no room for complacency in dealing with paedophiles who could do real damage to young people’s lives,’ Detective Inspector Dawson said.
‘We have to be constantly vigilant and keep up with the technological changes in the way these people operate.’
Detective Dawson said as part of its role in preventing paedophilia, the CMC provides helpful advice on its website to community groups, schools and other organisations connected with children’s education.
ENDS
