Originally Posted on PACA by DodiaFae on May 20, 2009

Warning: The following video contains graphic descriptions of child/infant rape.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkB26nBztyo&w=420&h=315]

***Project Safe Childhood was introduced to the public in 2006 to combat the increase of sexual predators using the Internet to entice and sexually exploit our children. ***

I wanted to include the above video in this discussion on the rise in child sexual abuse arrests. It was originally posted under the discussion header “Not Fearmongering – It’s the REAL WORLD”, which I find to be very fitting. But even more so now that we see that arrests are up 10%.

I had previously posted an article explaining measures being taken in Europe to tackle the surge in online abuse, and how not all networking sites are on board with the idea. I’d love to see something like the “online emergency button” implemented here in the US and Canada.

From a BBC News Article:

The number of suspected UK child sex offenders arrested over the past year has risen by 10% to 334, the body set up to tackle abuse has said.

The Child Exploitation and Online Protection unit said it had helped protect 139 children and disrupted 82 paedophile networks over the 12 months.

The arrests, in the UK and abroad, were for offences ranging from possession of indecent images to rape. But Ceop warned that the tactics being used by paedophiles were evolving.

 

Chief executive Jim Gamble said it was “easy to be alarmist” and suggest “technology is opening doors for offenders to abuse children quicker than we can close them”.

Notice that last bolded section… It’s what those of us who have been fighting online predators have been saying for some time now.

The article goes on to say:

But he said: “This is not about technology – this is about people. There is no distinction between the online and offline worlds.”

“This is about the behaviour of offenders manipulating any environment to abuse children.

“Child protection is everybody’s business and we should afford our children the same protection online that we would give them in the park or playground.”

We’ve also been saying this for some time, with one exception… online, the predator can more easily convince a child that they’re something they are not. No child is going to believe a 46 year old man who is trying to convince them that they’re a 12 year old boy if they can actually *see* them. But online, everyone is anonymous. Anyone can be a 13 year old boy, or a 12 year old girl… or both.

But Gamble is absolutely right in that children need just as much protection online as in the real world. He’s right that predators will do anything they can, manipulate anyone or any environment they need to in order to prey upon children. He’s also right in that protecting children is everyone’s responsibility.

A Ceop spokesman said while this was mainly done through instant messaging, there was a “fast-growing trend” of grooming through integrated social networking sites.

Offenders were also using more peer-to-peer networks and newsgroups rather than commercial pay-per-view sites, the report said.

It warned that mobile internet access was “placing new and additional responsibilities on parents”.

This is something we’ve been seeing a lot of. We’ve seen it on Ning, on YouTube, and many other networks. In the last two weeks alone, I’ve reported 8 Ning sites to NCMEC for containing child pornography… some of it the most graphic I’ve ever seen. (I should note here that Ning, for the most part, has been very responsive when I’ve reported these sites to them, as well.)

One last note, that may make anyone reading this feel a little more hopeful:

Mr Gamble said its work with colleagues overseas was “shrinking the world for the offender”.