Woodstock Police Offers Advice To Parents On Child Exploitation

Sunday, 9 February 2020 07:19

Woodstock Police say parents should keep track of the websites their children are visiting, as well as use parental controls and know the passwords to prevent them from being lured in the wrong direction.

WOODSTOCK - Woodstock Police is offering a few tips to parents, when it comes to child exploitation.

Detective Sargeant Nathan Hergott says it is important to talk to your kids about the dangers of sharing explicit images online and monitor social media accounts.

"Social media is very frequent in today's society and unfortunately there are some youth who may get caught up on the wrong sites, or lured in the wrong direction. Parents and guardians need to be on top of things and keep track of the sites they are visiting, using parental controls, knowing passwords and putting the proper measures in place to prevent youth from being lured or swayed in the wrong direction."

Hergott adds when you send a nude image online or via text, you don't really know where it is going.

"A lot of people think that the sharing of said images are only shared between the sender and the receiver and that is just not true, they can be intercepted and sent across the web and through the cyber world."

The Woodstock Police service is a member of the Provincial Strategy to Protect Children from Sexual Abuse and Exploitation on the Internet. They will often conduct investigations into Internet Child Exploitation Offences in partnership with several different Ontario Police Services.

Detective Sargeant Hergott says they are able to do this thanks to a Federal grant from the Ministry of the Solicitor General.

"The grant actually began in 2006 and it began with the OPP child exploitation unit, applying for such a Federal grant and receiving funds that are distributed to police forces across Ontario in relation to Internet and child exploitation investigations within the province and different police services that are part of the strategy."

Hergott adds they do work closely with other police forces when doing child exploitation investigations.

"It is very important, our neighbouring policing partners are key. A lot of the time, these investigations in their infancy can start with not really knowing or have an idea where the offender may be located. Working with other jurisdictions that have the same type of training and part of the same program and sharing of information are key in apprehending the people involved in this widespread issue."