The NSW Police and eSafety Commissioner have joined forces to combat child sexual abuse and unwanted contact online, launching a pilot campaign aimed at raising community awareness of the issue.
Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts, Paul Fletcher said the campaign was an important initiative to encourage parents and carers to consider the online safety of children in their care.
Mr Fletcher said that in the 2018-2019 financial year, eSafety’s Cyber Report Team finalised statutory investigations into more than 8,000 images and videos depicting child sexual abuse.
“Over 99 per cent of these investigations were completed within two business days and notified to the Australian Federal Police or the INHOPE network,” Mr Fletcher said.
“Crime Stoppers, the NSW Police Force and eSafety are asking the community to be vigilant online,” he said.
“If someone suspects or sees something related to online child sexual abuse it should be reported immediately so action can be taken.”
Mr Fletcher said predators were increasingly gaining access to children online through popular apps, games and social media sites to solicit sexual images or video, or harm them physically.
“Research by eSafety has revealed one in four young people have been contacted by a stranger online,” he said.
“The joint campaign will help parents and carers understand the warning signs of unwanted contact, protect their child’s privacy online, and to report suspicious activity.”
Mr Fletcher said the online safety of children is a shared community responsibility.
eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant said she wanted everyone to be more aware of the dangers to children online, and the strategies for reducing risks and reporting suspect online behaviour.
“We are asking parents to talk to their child before a predator does and make sure parents are armed with the right responses and strategies,” she said.
Fact sheets for parents and carers are available on the Crime Stoppers website, at this PS News link.
