Internet luring, is your child safe?

News — 30 November 2010

Detective Constable Janet Kaus of the Dryden Police Services hosted an information session for parents at the Dryden Fire Hall on Internet Luring and Cyberbullying.

With approximately a dozen parents in attendance, the group was walked through the realities of online crimes and the risks their children face daily.

Kaus began with some background, and gave some examples of online predators and how they relate to the children. Included in those examples were that the predator is usually male, seductive, introverted, sadistic and sexually indiscriminate.

It is known that the online predator will target through affection, kindness, attention, is willing to devote time, money and energy, stays aware of latest trends, is an ear to listen and sympathetic to kids’ problems, prey on the isolated, lonely or curious and rebellious child, as well as lowering inhibitions by gradually increasing sexual content into conversations.

Kaus explained that there are many variables to internet luring being a criminal offence including age variables.

“If there is a position of trust and authority between them (victim and predator), then it’s any young person under the age of 18. If the person is under the age of 16, and they’re engaged in conversation with someone who is more than five years older than them, and the conversation is sexual, invitation to sexual touching, asking them to touch themselves, or take their clothes off, then that’s where it becomes an offence.”

A Supreme Court decision was made in December 2009 that a luring charge does not have to prove the offender intended to meet the victim or commit a sexual offence with the victim.

“We have had one successful internet luring investigation, where an adult who was over five years age difference with a young teenager lured her, and they fit the criteria for an internet luring charge in the criminal code,” stated Kaus.

Tips to protect families were given, including the limitations of posting personal and private information, such as birthdates and full names, changing passwords often, using security options on websites, using key loggers to monitor activity and blocking unwanted communication and users.

To help prevent online harassment and cyberstalking, educate the children in your home of the online dangers of social networking and cyberstalking, report activity to the local police, report to your internet service provider and to the individual website, such as Facebook or MSN. For more information regarding age limitations for sexual activity, online stalking, luring and dangers of the internet, contact the Dryden Police Service at 223-3281.

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