Communities across the country are to gain a better understanding of online child exploitation now that the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) has launched a series of new online animations.
The series release comes as the nation’s police agencies join forces for the first time to issue a warning about a growing trend in online child exploitation.
Issuing the warning, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) said investigators from the AFP-led ACCCE and every State and Territory police force were warning that overseas offenders were increasingly preying on Australian children – particularly teenage males – and coercing them into producing explicit images and then extorting them for money.
ACCCE and AFP Human Exploitation Commander, Hilda Sirec said the new short animations aimed to raise awareness and prevent online child sexual exploitation from happening to families.
“ACCCE research has shown 21 per cent of parents and carers think online child sexual exploitation is too repulsive and sickening to think about,” Commander Sirec said.
“Combatting this crime starts with awareness,” she said.
“We’re asking the Australian community to watch these short animations and to start educating themselves.”
Commander Sirec said online child sexual exploitation was a serious issue, and many parents and carers didn’t know how to explain the severity of the crime to their children, or where to turn for advice and support.
She said the animations, each about three minutes long, support families to actively engage in a conversation with their children.
“The series answers calls from the public to clarify where to make a report and who investigates different aspects of online crimes,” Commander Sirec said.
She said the first animation, What is the ACCCE, explained the purpose of the ACCCE, how it functioned and how it collaborated across Government and non-government organisations to combat online child exploitation.
“The second animation What is Online Child Sexual Exploitation explains the nature and severity of the issue, as well as providing explanations of different forms of online child sexual exploitation including online grooming and sexual extortion,” she said.
“The final animation How to report Online Child Sexual Exploitation outlines the process for reporting online crimes against children, and explains the role of law enforcement and other agencies involved in combating the abuse of children in the online space.”
The ACCCE’s three-part animation series can be accessed at this PS News link.
If you or someone you know are impacted by child sexual abuse and online exploitation there are support services available, visit to learn more www.accce.gov.au/support
