NZ helps track cyber sex groomers

A new police unit set up to protect children from online sexual predators will be vital in the prosecution of an American man who used a web camera to communicate with a 14-year-old New Zealand girl.

United States authorities contacted the Online Child Exploitation Across New Zealand taskforce (Oceanz), which started in October, informing them they had arrested a 19-year-old on a charge thought to be similar to the New Zealand offence of sexual grooming, and asked them to track down his New Zealand victim.

The case comes amid criticism from British police of social networking site Facebook for not adopting a "panic button" which would allow victims of online sexual grooming to report concerns directly to authorities.

Head of Oceanz, Detective Sergeant John Michael, said American police became aware of the incident while monitoring social networking sites.

The pair had "met" via website Habbo Hotel, which is a virtual "world" where members can create an avatar of themselves and "sit" in different rooms communicating with other avatars.

It is understood the pair, who were in contact for a few months, moved their communication from the website to an instant messaging site where a web camera was used but Mr Michael would not reveal what the man did via the camera.

"They met through a social networking site and it progressed from there. So even though he knew what her age was he continued with that internet-based relationship.

"I don't want to go into the specifics of it because that will impact on the victim but needless to say, the behaviour was pretty concerning."

When asked if the man had asked the girl to meet him, Mr Michael answered: "It got to talk about that, but there were conversations and other things over the internet."

Mr Michael did not know what the man was charged with but it may have been the American equivalent to a New Zealand's sexual grooming charge or unlawful connection with a minor via the internet, he said.

Police were yet to speak to the victim. "We're making inquiries to speak to her, to ascertain her welfare, make sure she's okay," Mr Michael said.

New Zealand police had a good relationship with several overseas authorities when it came to international internet crimes, Mr Michael said.

Meanwhile, in a letter signed by 43 police forces across Britain, senior police officers said steps taken by Facebook to protect youngsters on its website were not good enough, the Independent reported.

Chief executive of Britain's Child Exploitation and Online protection Centre, Jim Gamble, travelled to Washington DC to discuss the implementation of a "panic button" on each page of the website.

But Facebook said it would only adopt the button on one page which appears when users have already decided to report abuse.

The argument came up again last month when a 33-year-old man who posed as a 19-year-old boy on Facebook was jailed for the rape and murder of a 17-year-old who he lured to her death.

Mr Michael said the website's decision was unfortunate.

"Anything that could assist law enforcement agencies in identifying groomers and allowing potential victims to bring it to the attention of law enforcement in a timely manner would be a good thing."

WHAT IS SEXUAL GROOMING?
* Setting up and preparing another person to be the victim of sexual abuse.
* Online grooming involves setting up an abusive situation via cyber-technologies such as the internet.

HOW TO KEEP KIDS SAFE
* Do not allow computers to be used in private areas.
* Watch who your children are in contact with on the internet.
* If an internet contact appears suspicious, cease contact.

Source: NetSafe