Online sex predators using cold-calling tactics to lure children

Warning over new tactics used by online paedophiles.

Child sex predators are copying techniques used by cold-calling firms to snare and blackmail youngsters online.

Evidence has emerged web perverts are using cold-calling techniques to contact vast numbers of children online at once in the hope one might fall into their trap.

Once the unsuspecting victim has accepted a request, usually on social media, they are groomed to perform inappropriate acts online and then blackmailed into doing more.

Child protection experts have warned the industrial harvesting method is becoming ever more popular, as paedophiles move away from physically abusing victims, to attacking them over the web.

Details of the cold-calling threat follow Prime Minister David Cameron’s announcement GCHQ and the National Crime Agency will hunt online paedophiles with the same effort used to track terrorists.

He also said legislation would make it a crime for anyone over 18 to communicate with a child under 16 “if the communication is sexual or if it is intended to elicit from the child a communication which is sexual”.

It is not known if such similar powers will be rolled out across Scotland as the crackdown will only initially apply to England and Wales.

But Jonathan Baggaley, Head of Education at the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP), said the key to tackling cyber use would remain the sole preserve of parents.

He said: “Something we’ve seen a rise of recently is more of a scattergun approach to contacting children.

“Rather than focusing on one child and building a long-term relationship, they are sending out lots of different contact requests on a social network and seeing who responds, then attempting to get a young person to share perhaps sexual images or do something on a webcam they might be embarrassed about.

“Then once the young person has done that, they record that and blackmail the child, saying: ‘If you don’t do more for me I’m going to share this with your family, or with your friends, or I am going to post this on Facebook or YouTube’.”

CEOP, part of the National Crime Agency, receives up to 600 reports of online abuse a month. But they admit even that represents only a “very small proportion”.

With new research revealing children as young as FOUR will receive handsets this Christmas, it is inevitable abuse will soar, with devastating consequences for the victims.

“It’s having a huge impact,” admitted Mr Baggaley, “Particularly where there’s pressure and children being forced into sexual acts.”

Examples of cases where paedophiles have successfully cyber groomed children make for shocking reading.

In April four men were jailed in Bahrain for duping 37 young British victims into performing sex acts online, after contacting them through this scattergun approach.

The investigation began in 2012 when Surrey Police were told a boy had been contacted by a person claiming to be a 13-year-old girl from Rome, who encouraged him perform indecent acts on a webcam.

They then threatened to post the content on the internet or send it to friends and family unless he provided more.

Siobhan Freegard, founder of online forum Netmums, said the web has become a “playground” for predatory paedophiles.

She said: “The worrying new scattergun tactic means some children will be lured in. It could be happening while your child is sitting in the room with you and you wouldn’t know.”

Ofcom research has revealed tablets are now the most popular way for children to use the internet, with one in three now owning their own.

Meanwhile, a survey by Tigermobiles.com revealed children as young as four will receive a mobile phone this Christmas.

TigerMobiles.com’s Brandon Ackroyd wasn’t surprised. “The world has gone mobile so it’s no surprise young children are getting a smartphone this Christmas,” he said.

So with thousands more children set to get online, the advice is for adults to talk openly with their children.

Mr Baggaley added: “A key message is to make sure your children know whatever happens online, they can always turn to you for help. It’s important parents are open with young people and keep the lines of communication open.”