Keep our kids safe from online abusers

PARENTS need to work harder to protect their children from online predators, according to Greater Manchester’s Police and Crime Commissioner.

Tony Lloyd spoke out after a report from the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (Ceop) Centre said paedophiles often use blackmail to force hundreds of young people to perform sexual acts over the internet.

Ceop revealed that seven children targeted by abusers in this way had killed themselves.

The investigation revealed that nearly 200 UK children had been targeted by abusers who posed as other young people, lured their victims into conversations about sex then persuaded them to share indecent images or videos of themselves. The offenders would then threaten to send the images to victims’ friends or family unless they carried out more extreme sexual acts.

Mr Lloyd has asked for a meeting with Ceop bosses to see what practical steps can be taken to protect children.

He said: “This report is shocking. Every parent, every family and every group involved in the support and protection of our young people from youth clubs to schools to police have to examine what more we can do to combat this. We have to look at how we can strengthen our children’s capacity to resist this and know where to go if they are targeted.”