I have popped a link in the sidebar because of this post The Virtual Global Taskforce (VGT) is an online organisation made up of police forces worldwide. When I worked as a moderator on the chat site we often had to deal with chatters who’s behaviour was suspect in regards to the youth section on the site. Inappropriate conversations, mainly geared towards grooming or sexual chat with underage chatters. The VGT is a global taskforce which aims to prevent online abuse and exploitation of children, there is also a wealth of information for adults and children to protect themselves against child sex abusers.

I feel helpless to a point to do much on my own but with the help of sites like this it empowers people to be diligent. You are able to report suspect behaviour, images etc through the site. Children are curious by nature, they will create accounts to access sites just to see what’s on the other side.

If you are a parent please take a look at the site and see how you can protect your child online. Adults target children through a variety of means – through member profiles in their Instant Message accounts, which often hold personal details and indicate their ages and which can be viewed publicly if a child hasn’t requested otherwise.

They will also ask young people who they have met online – for example in gaming sites, to add them to their friends contact lists so that they can chat to a children’s network of friends. They also go to child-specific chat rooms and forums, to engage young people through deceit or flattery. From this public area they would then encourage the child to talk more privately through texting on mobile phone, or in instant messenger.

Some abusers will send hoax letters via email to young people, purporting to be an organisation which they are interested in – and then hope that the child responds. Adults who want to contact children can do so quite easily online, since personal information is often not kept private in the same way that it would be online.

In my experience they generally lie about their age, they find things in common with the child’s age and use them as talking points, they frequent many social networking sites and generally hide behind a bullshit name, age and use other peoples photographs off other sites.  Be aware, if an adult’s behaviour is concerning you do something about it NOW. All it takes is for you to have a voice.