Tool helps agencies examine word usage, conversation patterns by a suspect Algorithm can spot potential child rapist

Washington, April 22: Scientists have developed an algorithm that can help identify potential sex offenders in online chatrooms, especially the ones who are most likely to set up face-to-face meetings with children.

Law enforcement officers are often inundated with cases involving the sexual solicitation of minors - some interested in sexual fantasy chats, with others intent on persuading an underage victim into a face-to-face meeting.

The Chat Analysis Triage Tool (CATT), developed by researchers at Purdue Polytechnic Institute in the US, allows officers to work through the volume of solicitations and use algorithms to examine the word usage and conversation patterns by a suspect. “We went through and tried to identify language-based differences and factors like selfdisclosure,” said Kathryn Seigfried-Spellar, assistant professor Purdue Polytechnic Institute.

Self-disclosure is a tactic in which the suspect tries to develop trust by sharing a personal story, which is usually negative, such as parental abuse. Other standout characteristics of sexual predators is that the chats will go on for even months until a meeting is achieved. PTI London, April 22: Britain’s health secretary says the government will introduce new laws targeting online social media companies if they don’t do more to protect children.

In a strongly-worded letter to Facebook, Google, Snapchat, Twitter and others, Jeremy Hunt said their failure to prevent young children using social media and exposing children to its “harmful emotional side effects” was “unacceptable and irresponsible.” Hunt said Sunday he was particularly concerned about the lack of age verification measures, with thousands breaching minimum user age rules. AP