British police arrest 200 suspected paedophiles in one week. They launch a campaign warning parents about abusers who lure children into streaming explicit images online.
VIDEO SCRIPT:
200 suspected paedophiles arrested in one week.
Trying to find young victims on the Internet.
How safe is the web for our children?
Hi, I’m Leon Hawthorne. The latest weapon in the paedophile’s toolbox is live streaming abuse on the Internet.
The National Crime Agency says paedophiles pose as teenagers in chatrooms and persuade younger children to send indecent images. Then they blackmail the children, forcing them to live stream increasingly explicit images, or even participate in abusing other young children live online.
400 people are arrested every month for sharing indecent images of children on peer to peer websites. The police warn: this is just the tip of the iceberg.
So, how can we keep our children safe? Even toddlers use tablet computers these days; and parents cannot stand over their shoulders all the time.
‘Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command’ video:
“Hi, I’m Sam and I go online to try to abuse kids…”
The police have published this video attempting to educate parents about parental controls and Internet filters; and where we can go for more information…
‘Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command’ video:
“If parents knew they could get advice from CEOP, it would make what I do more difficult.”
In a sick way, there is an upside to the fact that many of these creeps share abuse images online. Often they film themselves committing these crimes and that, at least, is evidence the police can use to put them behind bars.
Last year, there were 2,843 prosecutions in England & Wales for physical sex attacks on children aged under 13.
Just 44% of defendants were convicted (1,260).
In the worst cases of child rape, offenders got an average prison sentence of just 12 years.
That means they’ll be out on parole after six… sometimes before the children they abuse have even reached adulthood.
There is no cure for paedophilia. Those who commit these vile crimes against defenceless children cannot stop themselves. It’s who they are and they’ll do it over and over again.
In my opinion, the sentence for the worst offenders should be life without the prospect of parole.
There have always been paedophiles. The Internet just makes it easier for them to reach into your child’s bedroom and harm them. But we should not be wracked with fear. The Internet creates as many solutions and it does dangers. And it means our kids will grow up even more street smart than their parents.
I’m Leon Hawthorne. Thanks for watching.
© Leon Hawthorne 2023 