Published: Thursday, 6th August, 2009 10:10am

Advice for parents on sex crime hazards

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PARENTS of Dunfermline High School pupils have been warned how to prevent their children being targeted by sex offenders.

The school's July newsletter carries a hard-hitting account of the dangers of the internet and the risk to kids of rape and sexual abuse.

Pamela Macleod, the principal teacher of guidance, issued the warning after attending an in-service course given by Fife police called Child Exploitation and Online Protection.

She said, "I was horrified to learn just how vulnerable our children are on the internet, even as young as six or seven years old.

"We were given several examples of sites, including one called Habbo Hotel where the child enters a virtual world and meets others in that world.

"This site is aimed specifically at primary school aged children and within minutes of entering the site, they can be 'picked up' by someone."

She said that, for older children, a popular site is Second Life where "millions worldwide have signed up to this virtual world".

"Within the site there are hidden rooms where sex offenders go," she explained. "Everything in real life is mirrored in Second Life."

Ms Macleod continued, "Twenty five percent of young people have met someone offline and a quarter of them went on their own.

"We were given examples of the lengths these adults will go to in order to persuade young people to meet with them."

Fife police said courses are given by specially trained school and community education officers with over 4000 primary 7 kids in Fife having already attended.

These sessions are normally given during Safe Fife events in May and September and a spokeswoman said they run courses in high schools throughout West Fife - pupils at Dunfermline High were visited before the summer break.

She added, "They're very well received and we have numerous requests for the course.

"The purpose is to let children and young people understand the dangers of the internet, raise awareness and, if they have to use social networking sites, let them know how to use them safely."

A "real life example" given on the course is about a 16-year-old girl who wanted to be a model and got chatting with a photographer through a modelling website.

Ms Macleod said, "Eventually the photographer suggested they meet, she refused so he put pressure on her, saying that he would make sure no agency would take her on.

"She agreed to go. He started taking photographs of her and managed to persuade her to go topless.

"The next week he raped her and threatened to publish the photographs. She was raped every week for six months."

The newsletter warns parents that girls can be targeted through social networking sites like MSN, Bebo, Facebook and My Face - where users have to be at least 13 or 14 to use them - while boys can be targeted through gaming sites like Runescape, World of War Craft and Lord of the Rings online.

Further information on 'how to help protect your kids online' can be found at www.thinkuknow.co.uk.