A man will face court today after being charged over the alleged online procurement of a young girl for sex.
Late last week, officers from Liverpool City Police Area Command commenced an investigation following reports a man had met-up with a teenage girl he had met online for the purpose of sexual activity.
Police were told the pair met through social media and began speaking on the phone before the man engaged in sexually explicit conversations and requested photos of the girl, knowing she was aged under 16.
It's alleged the man met with the girl in Sydney's south-west on Monday 1 February 2021 and attempted to sexually touch her before she left the area. The girl subsequently reported the incident at school.
Following extensive inquiries, police arrested a 23-year-old man at a home at Claymore about 10.30am yesterday (Monday 8 February 2021).
The man was taken to Campbelltown Police Station, where he was charged with procure child for unlawful sexual activity and possess child abuse material.
He has been refused bail to appear at Campbelltown Local Court today (Tuesday 9 February 2021).
Police are urging parents and guardians to speak with their children about staying safe online.
Safe internet use – tips for parents:
• Be aware of how much time your child spends on the internet.
• Spend time talking to your child about the dangers associated with online conversations, particularly when communicating with someone that they have only ever met online.
• Spend time exploring the internet with your children and let them teach you about their favourite websites and applications.
• Keep computers or internet-enabled devices in a room the whole family can access, not in your child's bedroom; monitor internet access on those devices.
• Consider installing filtering and/or computer blocking software provided by your internet service provider.
• Ensure you are able to access your child's email and social media accounts and randomly check the contents.
• Check your phone bill for unusual outgoing calls and consider using 'caller ID' to identify incoming calls.
• Consult your telephone company for options designed to ensure privacy and security.
• Enquire with your child's school, public library, and places they frequent to find out what internet safety measures they have in place.
• Information on internet safety is available on the NSW Police website at: http://www.police.nsw.gov.au/safety_and_prevention/safe_and_secure/online_safety
Tips for children:
• Do not send a picture of yourself to anyone you don't know and never place a full profile and picture anywhere on the internet.
• Never give out your personal information, including full name, home address, phone number or school, over the internet.
• Never arrange a face-to-face meeting with someone that you have only ever chatted with on the internet.
• Tell your parents or another adult you know of any contact that makes you feel uncomfortable.
• Think carefully before uploading or sending images or videos to people over the internet. Once you press 'send' it's definite and final – you can't get it back or take it down.
• Information on youth issues, including online safety is available on the NSW Police website at:
http://www.police.nsw.gov.au/safety_and_prevention/safe_and_secure/young_people
More information and educational packages for parents and children are available from ThinkUKnow, a multi-agency program designed to educate and promote cyber safety: https://www.thinkuknow.org.au/
