Be aware of who your children are talking to on the internet

Be aware of who your children are talking to on the internet


Police have warned of the chameleon-like tendencies of the paedophile, after a 24-year-old man was jailed for sex offences against children.



The case goes against the stereotypical view that sex offenders are aged 50 or above. It also illustrated that predatory paedophiles are willing to use a "cool" approach to infiltrate and then exploit their young victims' confidence.



A 24-year-old man from the Horfield area admitted at Bristol Crown Court to five counts of sexual activity with three children aged under 16 years.



He was jailed for 26 months and placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for 10 years.



DI Will White of the child abuse investigation team in Bristol said following the court case: "This case showed that sex offenders are not the stereotypical man, aged fifty plus.



"In this case the offender was a man in his mid-20s who performed the role of a predatory paedophile, preying on teenagers by appealing to their interests. He used skateboarding and his role as a rock group manager to attract the youngsters' interest.



"This chameleon-like approach can instil a false sense of confidence amongst young and impressionable people who are unable to see the real threat posed by these people.


"We would advise parents to be aware of whom their children are speaking to on the internet and the content of email conversations."


DI White added: "Hopefully this court result sends out a strong message that this type of activity will not be tolerated and offenders will be found and punished."